Coronavirus: No relaxation of lockdown in Delhi, says Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that there will be no relaxation of the lockdown in the national capital. The announcement comes as the Centre had allowed certain activities to be exempted from the extended lockdown from April 20. Kejriwal said the decision was taken as "the coronavirus is rapidly spreading across Delhi," with nearly 1,900 infections. Here are more details.
'No lockdown relaxation; will review after a week'
Kejriwal said, "The Central government has said that the lockdown should not be relaxed in COVID-19 hotspots and containment zones. All 11 districts in Delhi have been declared hotspots." Delhi also has 77 containment zones. He added, "We have decided that there will be no relaxation for the lockdown in Delhi. After a week, we will sit with experts to reassess the situation."
Delhi has reported 1,893 cases, 43 deaths
Kejriwal said that as of now Delhi has reported 1,893 cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), out of which, 26 are in intensive care units (ICUs) and six are on ventilators. 43 people have also died in the city. He said, "Delhi is home to 2% of India's population, but 12% of all COVID-19 cases in India have been detected here."
186 new cases reported yesterday, all asymptomatic: Kejriwal
Kejriwal said, "Yesterday, we received test results of 736 cases and 186 were found positive," adding that all 186 persons were asymptomatic. The CM added, "Out of the 186 positives, one person said that he had been volunteering at one of the government's free food camps for the past few days. Imagine how many people he might have infected there."
In Jahangirpuri, 26 members of one family tested positive
Kejriwal said the government will conduct tests on everyone who visited the food camp and will ensure that volunteers across all such camps in Delhi are tested. He mentioned the example of Jahangirpuri where 26 members of a family that lived in the same lane were tested positive on Saturday. "They kept visiting each others' homes despite being in a containment zone," Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal fears cases my surge if lockdown is relaxed
Repeatedly stressing on the importance of a lockdown, Kejriwal said areas where restrictive protocols were followed reported no new cases. Citing the cases of Italy, Spain, and the United States, Kejriwal said if the lockdown had not been imposed here, the cases may have skyrocketed, overwhelming healthcare systems. "If we relax the lockdown and the situation worsens...we will never be able to forgive ourselves."
'Coronavirus rapidly spreading, but it's still under control'
Kejriwal said, "The coronavirus is rapidly spreading across Delhi, but the outbreak is still within our control." He said, "The situation is worrisome, but you don't need to panic," adding that people need to be disciplined.
Across India, over 15,000 cases of COVID-19 reported
According to the Union Health Ministry's latest update, the total COVID-19 cases in India rose to 15,707 by 8 am on Sunday morning. The cases include 507 deaths and 12,969 active cases along with 2,230 cured/discharged patients and one patient who migrated out of India. However, a compilation of data released by state/UT governments showed that India's death toll was 521 till late-Saturday.
