NEW DELHI – Delhi imposed a weekly closure in the city on Monday as infections and deaths in India hit new daily records and several local governments, including in the national capital, reported shortages of oxygen, beds and drugs.
India on Monday reported more than 272,000 cases and 1,619 deaths as a second wave of coronavirus continued to spread across the country. The deteriorating situation has led to Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain canceling a planned trip to the country next week, the British and Indian governments decided on Monday. Britain also said that most people who have traveled from India in the last ten days will not be able to access from Friday.
Delhi’s Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Monday that a citywide exclusion will start at 22:00 and end on April 26 at around 05:00.
“Our health systems have reached its limit,” he said. “We have almost no ICU beds left. We have a huge oxygen shortage. ‘
All essential services, including grocery stores, pharmacies and food delivery, are allowed, he said. Wedding ceremonies will be limited to 50 people.
“If we do not place an exclusion now, it could lead to a great tragedy,” he said. Kejriwal said.
On Monday, a court in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh ordered until April 26 to close restrictions in the cities of Prayagraj, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur Nagar and Gorakhpur. Government offices, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and grocery stores with more than three workers will be closed in those cities.
Last week, the state government of Maharashtra, which includes the financial center Mumbai, banned public gatherings and ordered most businesses to close for the next few weeks after hospitals were overwhelmed there. Its prime minister profession to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use the Indian Air Force to air oxygen cylinders to meet the state’s demand.
The shortages have led to quarrels between opposition-led state governments and Mr. Modi’s government, which controls the supply of much-needed medical oxygen and drugs.
Mr. Modi and his leading lieutenants have also come under pressure to hold political rallies that gather thousands of people, with almost no respect for social distance, at a time when cases of coronavirus in the country are getting out of control.
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