On Monday, the Delhi government ordained a weeklong citywide lockdown beginning at 10 p.m. on 19th April and ending around 5 a.m. on 26th April. The decision was taken at a meeting between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt. Governor Anil Baijal and announced by CM Kejriwal in a presser.

The restrictions come on a day when India reported over 272,000 new coronavirus cases and at least 1,600 virus-related deaths in a single day. The capital city alone reported more than 23,000 new cases.

Briefing the public regarding the precarious situation of the city, Kejriwal said:

Our health systems have reached their limit. We've almost no I.C.U. beds left. We are facing a huge shortage of oxygen. If we don’t place a lockdown now, it could lead to a big tragedy.

Explaining the restrictions, he further added:

All essential services, including grocery stores, pharmacies, and food delivery, will be allowed. Wedding ceremonies will be restricted to 50 people.

The second wave of COVID-19 is wreaking unprecedented devastation in India as the country has been reporting a record number of daily cases and deaths. Several states are running out of oxygen beds fast and are forced to share one oxygen bed for two Covid patients. Modi-led government has been bashed by the opposition for its failure to contain the spread of lethal flu bug in the country.

Health experts have warned that the actual number of corona cases and deaths are way more than that being reported and it's highly likely that the country's Covid situation gets even worse very soon. The government needs to step up and impose strict measures across the country to curtail the spread of the deadly virus.