Delhi's positivity rate reached a whopping 24 per cent on Friday (File)
The Delhi government will likely extend the weekend lockdown as the national capital has been reporting a record surge in daily coronavirus cases, sources say. The decision is expected to be announced after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal's meeting over the Covid situation tomorrow.
Delhi has been reporting its biggest single-day Covid numbers for the last few days amid the rapid second wave of infections. On Friday, it recorded an unprecedented 24,000 new coronavirus cases. It also logged its highest-single day death count.
Last week, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced Delhi would remain shut this weekend to "break the chain of transmission".
Auditoriums, restaurants, malls, gyms and spas would be shut down and movie theatres would be allowed with a third of their capacity on weekdays, Mr Kejriwal had said, announcing other restrictions.
Delhi's positivity rate reached a whopping 24 per cent on Friday.
Mr Kejriwal on Friday said that the rapidly increasing caseload had been exerting tremendous pressure on the national capital's health infrastructure.
"The situation is very serious and worrisome. Cases have gone up really fast. That is why we are facing shortages even though everything seemed under control until a few days ago. But the speed at which this corona is growing, no one knows where its peak will be," he said in a virtual address.
Mr Kejriwal said the national capital had been experiencing shortages of hospital beds, drugs and medical oxygen.
"Any health infrastructure has limitations. The government is trying its best to increase the number of beds. I hope that we will be able to add 6,000 more beds in the next two to four days," he added.
He demanded that the centre reserve 50 per cent of its 10,000 hospital beds in Delhi for Covid patients.
India today logged 2,61,500 infections, which is its highest-ever single-day count. This is the fourth straight day when the country reported over 2 lakh cases.