The curfew in Delhi has been extended for a week till May 17 during which Metro train services will also remain suspended.

In a webcast on Sunday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said: “In the past two-three days, the (Covid) positivity ratio has come down to 23 per cent from the earlier 35 per cent.”

He added: “We have used this lockdown period to strengthen our health resources and infrastructure. New oxygen beds were prepared in many places. The biggest problem that Delhi faced was shortage of oxygen. More than normal oxygen came to be required by the hospitals since most of the Covid patients required oxygen. In the past few days, with the central government’s help and based on the directions by the Supreme Court and high court, the oxygen situation has improved. Now one does not have to listen to such things that only two hours of oxygen are left in one hospital and half an hour of oxygen left in the other, or that someone may die because of shortage of oxygen.”

The capital has been under a lockdown since April 20 with several exemptions, including weddings with up to 50 attendees. This exemption has been further restricted to weddings inside homes or courts with no more than 20 people present.

Delhi’s vaccination drive—covering over a lakh recipients a day — has attracted residents of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and the capital’s stocks may run out this week. “There is a scarcity in vaccine stock. We’ve asked the Centre for assistance,” Kejriwal said.