Coronavirus / Lockdown in Delhi extended till 5 am on May 17, metro services to be stopped

New Delhi: Despite a decline in coronavirus positivity rate in the national capital, around 85 per cent of the Delhiites want CM Kejriwal to extend the ongoing lockdown by at least a week while 70 per cent favour 2-week lockdown extension, a survey conducted by online platform LocalCircles showed.

As per the poll, 85 per cent of residents of Delhi are in favour of at least 1-week lockdown extension, 70 per cent favour extending it by at least 2 weeks, while 47 per cent favour a 3-week lockdown.

“The public opinion suggests that a 2-3-week lockdown be implemented in Delhi along with a model that permits resumption of contactless home deliveries so that small business disruption and consumer inconvenience can be minimised,” LocalCircles Chairman and founder Sachin Taparia said.

He asserted that the survey findings have been shared with the chief minister, the Office of Lieutenant Governor and the chief secretary so as they finalise the way forward on lockdown in Delhi, this collective public feedback is taken into account.

Earlier, the traders’ body, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) had urged the L-G Baijal and CM Kejriwal 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, several media reports have claimed that CM Kejriwal might extend lockdown in the capital city till May 17 due to rising coronavirus cases.

On April 19, CM Kejriwal had imposed a six-day lockdown in Delhi which was extended on April 25. The total shutdown was scheduled to end on May 3, but the Chief Minister announced that the lockdown will be extended by another week till May 10 in wake of the rising COVID-19 cases.