Delhi Extends Lockdown by a Week to Control Virus Outbreak
India’s capital extended by a week curbs it put in place to control a new wave of Covid-19 infections.
(Bloomberg) --
India’s capital extended by a week curbs it put in place to control a new wave of Covid-19 infections.
The decision was announced by Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a Twitter post on Saturday. The lockdown was initially imposed on April 19 and has already been extended once.
New Delhi has recorded an average more than 20,000 new infections daily for the past five days, according to government data. The nation’s daily cases topped a record 400,000 on Saturday, pushing the total virus numbers to more than 19 million, which is second only to the U.S.
Read: India Needs to Shut Down to Beat Covid, Fauci Tells Express
The spike in infections has overwhelmed the nation’s hospitals and crematoriums, which are working overtime to cope with the sick and the surging number of deaths. Hospitals in the state have also been facing a shortage of oxygen supply to treat patients, compounding the crisis.
A Delhi hospital reported that 12 patients died due to shortage of oxygen on Saturday.
“Everyday, we have been raising an alarm,” said Sudhanshu Bankata, executive director at the Batra Hospital, where the deaths occurred. “The situation is worsening.”
Kejriwal said he’s conveyed the concerns of the hospitals to the federal government as well as the courts, seeking intervention and help.
“Many hospitals have said that they will have to turn down their patients,” he said. “Delhi needs oxygen.”
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
