Former international powerlifting champion and national-level shooter Gaurav Sharma distributes food among the homeless in New Delhi on Sunday. | —PTI
New Delhi
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced extension of the ongoing lockdown in Delhi by another week, saying the process of unlock will start from May 31 in a phased manner if the Covid-19 cases continue to decline.
Kejriwal said the top priority of his government is to vaccinate people of the city at the earliest to prevent the third wave, and added he was in talks with vaccine companies for required doses and is ready to buy vaccines at any cost. Vaccination of people aged 18-44 years has been stopped in Delhi on Sunday as the city has run out of stocks.
In 24 hours, Delhi recorded 1,600 cases and the positivity rate went further down to below 2.5%, the CM said. “I consulted many people and the general opinion favoured lockdown extension for a week. So, Delhi government has decided lockdown will be extended to 5 am on May 31,” he said.
Kejriwal said if the lockdown is lifted now the gains made in the last month through a lot of struggles, hard work and sacrifice may be lost. “If the current downward trend in cases sustains in the next week and people follow precautions against Covid with strict discipline as they have done so far, we will start the process of unlock from May 31,” he said.
Shops can open in Haryana
The Haryana government on Sunday extended the coronavirus-induced lockdown by another week, giving relaxations to standalone shops in the state.
State chief secretary Vijai Vardhan said the lockdown, earlier imposed till May 24, has been extended till May 31.
Intensify measures: TN CM
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday directed district collectors to intensify measures like door-to-door survey to detect people with Covid-19 symptoms during the weeklong lockdown beginning May 24.
Conducting medical camps for early detection, increasing testing and continuation of the vaccination drive without slackness were among the measures the CM underscored.
Virus tidbits
-- 6 shops sealed for violating lockdown norms, fined Rs5,000 in UP’s Shamli
-- Haryana to launch anti-Covid ‘Sanjeevani Pariyojana’ for quick medicare access at home
-- RSS wing distributes Ayush tablets in Lucknow villages
-- UP records 4,800 new cases, infections down to 84K
-- Puducherry adds 1,448 cases, 34 deaths; toll 1,359; the UT extends lockdown
-- Punjab sees 172 more fatalities, 5,094 fresh cases
-- Delhi man forced to stay in old age home as son dies
