Lockdown in Delhi from tonight till next Monday morning amid rise in COVID cases 

Delhi will be under lockdown from tonight to next Monday morning amid a record rise in coronavirus cases

It has been decided to impose a lockdown in Delhi, from 10 pm tonight to 6 am next Monday (26th April), said Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal after a meeting with the Lt Governor.

Essential services, food services, medical services will continue. Weddings can be held with a gathering of only 50 people, passes will be issued separately for it. A detailed order will be issued shortly, said Kejriwal addressing a virtual press conference.

In the next 6 days, we will make arrangements for more beds in Delhi. We thank Central govt for helping us. The lockdown period will be used to arrange oxygen, medicine. I request everyone to follow the guidelines, the Delhi CM added.

“In the last 24 hours, around 23,500 cases were reported. In last 3-4 days, around 25,000 cases have been reported. Positivity rate and infection have increased. If 25,000 patients come every day then system will crumble, there's a shortage of ICU beds,” he said.

All private offices will work from home and only government offices and essential services will be open.

Delhi recorded the biggest jump in its daily Covid tally with 25,462 fresh cases and a positivity rate of nearly 30 per cent on Sunday.

On Saturday, 24,375 Covid cases and 167 deaths were reported in the city.

The decision was reportedly taken when Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Monday.

Earlier, auditoriums, restaurants, malls, gyms and spas were shut down in Delhi and movie theatres were allowed only with a third of their capacity. All gatherings -- social, religious or political - were banned.

"The situation is very serious and worrisome. Cases have gone up really fast. That is why we are facing shortages even though everything seemed under control until a few days ago. But the speed at which this corona is growing, no one knows where its peak will be," Arvind Kejirwal had said in a virtual address on Friday.

Last year, Delhi was under complete lockdown between March 22 and May 18 and after this, the capital reopened in stages.