Coronavirus: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announces lockdown until March 31

Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal has on yesterday announced a slew of measures to counter the rapid spread of novel coronavirus. He announced a complete lockdown from 6 AM today i.e. March 23 till midnight of March 31, 2020. There are 27 cases in Delhi – 6 of them fall under the category of transmission, 21 had come from foreign countries.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announces lockdown until March 31

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal tweeted on Sunday, “For preventive measures to contain the spread of the covid-19 outbreak, directions have been issued for lockdown in the whole territorial jurisdiction of NCT of Delhi from 0600 hrs on Monday 23rd March 2020 to midnight 31st March 2020.”

Addressing a joint press conference with Lt Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announced that all borders of Delhi with Harayan and Uttar Pradesh will be sealed, but essential items from neighboring states, such as food items like vegetables, milk, etc., will keep coming.

He further added that all private offices will remain closed but employees — both permanent and contractual — will be considered on duty and the companies will have to provide them with salary.

Here is the list of the services and businesses which will remain open: 

• Fire stations

• Ration shops
• Takeaway/home delivery in restaurants
• Chemists
• Police departments
• Fair price shops (public distribution system)
• Electricity
• Water
• Municipal services
• Magisterial services
• Pay and accounts office (only for salary/wages/contingent/health and essential services related expenditure)
• Print and electronic media
• Cashier/teller operations of banks (including ATMs)
• Telecom, internet, and postal services
• E-commerce of all essential goods including food, pharmaceutical, and medical equipment
• Food items, groceries (fruit/vegetables/milk/bakery items, meat, fish, etc)
• Milk plants
• General provision stores
• Petrol pumps, LPG/oil agencies
• Manufacturing, processing, transportation, distribution, storage, trade/commerce and logistics related to all the above services/establishments and commodities required for delivery of these above services
• Any other essential service/establishment that may be exempted by the government

Yesterday, CM Kejriwal had appealed people to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel. He said, “Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures. The more you’ll stay away from other people, the more efficiently we will be able to can save ourselves.”

He further added, “During the lockdown, no document or proof will be sought from people if they say that they are out on streets to provide or avail any essential service. We know people will face difficulties, but lockdown is necessary to contain the spread of coronavirus.”

On Sunday, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that prevents the assembly of four or more people were clamped in Delhi. The order bans demonstrations, protests, processions among other types of assemblies for social, cultural, political, religious, academic and sports.

Though Kejriwal announced all domestic flights flying into Delhi will be cancelled, an official of aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a clarification soon after, saying all domestic flights to and from the national capital will continue to operate.