India's Delhi to lock down for six days

Reuters | New Delhi

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Indian capital New Delhi will be under a strict lockdown for six days starting on Monday night.

The healthcare system was at a breaking point because of the worsening COVID-19 outbreak, the city's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, according to Reuters.

The city was also facing acute shortages of hospital beds, medical oxygen supplies and key medicines such as the anti-viral Remdesivir, Kejriwal said.

The chief minister said the city is facing the fourth wave of Covid-19 and that harsh measures will have to be taken to prevent a collapse of the health system. “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,” he said.

India reported 2,73,810 new Covid-19 cases and 1,619 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to data from the Union Health Ministry. 

The total cases in the country now stand at 1,50,61,919. There are 19,29,329 active cases in the country at present while 1,29,53,821 people have recovered from the disease. 

The death toll is at 1,78, 769. As many as 12,38,52,566 people have been vaccinated so far.