Delhi Metro extends suspension till April 14 amid lockdown
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Thursday announced that its services will remain suspended till April 14 in light of a 21-day nationwide lockdown called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The lockdown has been imposed to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Earlier, Metro services had been suspended till March 31 as per the government's directives.
'Metro services will remain closed till April 14'
As per a notification on DMRC's website dated March 22, the Metro services were suspended till March 31. On March 24, PM Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown. To clear any confusion, the DMRC announced Thursday, "It is hereby informed that, in light of the lockdown issued by the government, Metro services will remain closed till April 14, 2020."
You can view the DMRC's tweet here
All transport suspended across India amid lockdown
The nationwide lockdown came into force on March 25. As part of the restrictions, all transport across India—by means of road, rail or air—have been suspended. App-based cab services Uber and Ola also suspended their services. In the national capital, the Delhi Transport Corporation is operating a limited fleet of buses, but only for the staff of essential services (such as healthcare workers).
How can transport shutdown help tackle COVID-19?
The transport shutdown is aimed at promoting social distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19. Although the disease has a low mortality rate, it is highly contagious. According to an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) report, released Monday, in an optimistic scenario, each coronavirus-positive person can infect 1.5 other people. In a pessimistic scenario, they can infect up to four.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is caused by a new strain of novel coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, which impacts a host's respiratory system. The disease originated in China's Wuhan city in December and has since infected a whopping 4.7 lakh people across roughly 170 countries. The disease has also killed 21,000 people. It is especially lethal for those who are immunocompromised or are of old age.
