NEW DELHI — The Delhi state government on Sunday extended the lockdown till May 31 in the wake of the ongoing second wave of COVID-19.

Announcing the extension of the lockdown, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the extension was required so that gains made after much struggle are not lost.

The chief minister said unlocking will begin in a phased manner with effect from May 31 onwards if pandemic cases in the city continued to decline.

The national capital reported 1,649 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours on Sunday, which was the lowest daily spike since March 30 when 992 cases were recorded. There are currently 27,610 active cases in the city.

The city also recorded 189 COVID-19 related deaths in 24 hours on Sunday, taking Delhi's cumulative toll to 23,202. For the second consecutive day, the daily fatalities remained below 200. — Agencies