Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the nation-wide lockdown, which is supposed to be in place till April 14 to fight the coronavirus pandemic, as they met virtually. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said it should be continued till the end of April across the country.
Arvind Kejriwal’s suggestion came as several chief ministers participated in a meeting with Prime Minister Modi through video to discuss whether the lockdown should be lifted as planned and to talk about other ways to fight the coronavirus disease, which has killed 239 people and infected 7447 in the country.
Kejriwal’s request for extending the restrictions came on a day when Delhi’s tally of coronavirus cases inched towards the 1,000 mark.
Delhi followed Maharashtra and Tami Nadu with 941 Covid-19 patients, out of which 25 have been cured and 13 have died.
In the video-conference, PM Modi and several other chief ministers were seen wearing a mask.
Kejriwal, West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee, Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot, Karnataka’s BS Yediyurappa, also wore masks during the virtual meeting after which the Prime Minister is expected to take a decision on whether to lift or extend the lockdown.
“I am always available. Any chief minister can speak to me and give suggestions (on Covid-19) anytime. We should stand together shoulder-to-shoulder,” Modi is understood to have said during the meeting.
Delhi’s health department’s bulletin on Friday said that 584 Covid-19 cases in the national capital are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat’s congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz last month.
On Friday, the administration increased the number of Covid-19 containment zones to 30. The areas that have been included in the list of containment zones are located in west, central and south-east Delhi.
