Delhi lockdown to be extended? CM Arvind Kejriwal likely to take decision today

File Photo (Credits: ANI)

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is likely to take a final decision on the extension of the COVID-19 lockdown in the national capital on Sunday (May 9, 2021).

Though an official confirmation is awaited, many media sources have reported that the AAP-led Delhi government will be making an announcement on the extension of the lockdown today. The current imposed lockdown will end at 5 AM on Monday (May 10, 2021). 

Earlier, CM Arvind Kejriwal had first imposed a complete lockdown in the national capital on April 19 which was later extended on April 25 and May 1 respectively.

Additionally, as per the survey conducted by online platform LocalCircles, over 85 percent of the Delhiites want the government to extend the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown by at least a week, while almost 70 percent citizens are in favour of two-week long COVID-19 lockdown in the city. 

On the other hand, the traders’ body of Delhi, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Saturday (May 8, 2021) conducted a survey of their own, which revealed that over 65 percent of the respondents favour extension of the ongoing lockdown. 

Brijesh Goyal, chairman of Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) said that "65 percent of Delhi's traders favour increasing (extending) the lockdown in Delhi."

"Over 480 traders and industrial organisations gave their opinion in the survey," he added.

CAIT registered traders also wrote a letter to L-G Baijal and CM Kejriwal. The trader body urged the authorities to extend the lockdown in Delhi till 15 May.

“The continued rapid increase of covid cases in Delhi and proportional non-availability of required medical facilities have worsened the situation and we understand it may take time to restore normalcy in Delhi with the efforts of your government. Keeping this fact into consideration, a meeting of prominent trade associations was held at Delhi yesterday…where it has been unanimously resolved to request you for extension of lockdown in Delhi beyond 3 May and the same may be extended unto 15 May 2021,” the traders body said in its letter.

Meanwhile, CM Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday had said that a decision on lockdown will be taken after reviewing the situation. "Right now the citizens of Delhi themselves want this lockdown to continue, to stop the spread of this virus," he had said.