COVID-19: Another exodus of migrant workers underway as Delhi extends lockdown

Migrant workers started heading for their home towns on Tuesday morning as the government of Delhi extended lockdown for the fourth time in the national capital after the second coronavirus wave.

Many migrant workers were seen at the Anand Vihar terminal trying to catch a train to their native places as they fear that yet another extension lockdown will leave them stranded with no food, money or work.

A migrant worker from Jharkhand, Subhodh Mandal waiting for his train told ANI, "The company shut down here. We have to pay rent, buy ration and send money back home, how will we survive here. We cannot stay hungry for long."

He further said, "Poor people are the ones who suffer. They suffer the most, others have no problems."

"I am going back to my home in Arrah (Bihar). The company is closed. For how many days will we stay hungry, that is why I thought that I should go back. My mother is also in a serious condition at home, there is no one to look after her. I have no money to buy food. Lockdown has been extended. What to do?," asked Ramji, another migrant worker.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday informed that lockdown in the national capital has been extended by one more week till next Monday.

The national capital has been under a lockdown since April 19 in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the second wave of the pandemic.

The daily count of cases in Delhi has seen a steady decline over the last few days and the positivity rate dropped too.

Delhi reported 6,734 new COVID-19 cases, 10,918 recoveries and 340 deaths, the Union Health Ministry informed on Tuesday in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that the active number of COVID cases in the national capital stands at 56,049. With the new fatalities, the COVID death toll has mounted to 21,846.

As India's daily spike of coronavirus cases witnesses a dip with only 2,63,533 fresh infections recorded in the last 24 hours, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 continues to remain alarmingly high with 4,329 more fatalities, the highest toll in a single day since the pandemic began.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the country also saw a massive jump in the number of recoveries with 4,22,436 fresh discharges.

(ANI)

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