Private firms have to provide salary to permanent, contractual employees during Delhi lockdown: Kejriwal

Giving a major relief to workers of private firms during the lockdown in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said both permanent and contractual employees will be considered to be on-duty and their companies will have to provide them with the salary from the period of March 22 to March 31.

"All private offices will remain closed but the employees - both permanent and contractual - will be considered to be on-duty. The companies will have to provide them with the salary for this duration," said Kejriwal in a press conference.

Delhi has ordered complete lockdown in the national capital from 6 am tomorrow (March 23) till midnight of March 31, in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic.No transport services will be allowed, despite few DTC buses. All borders of the national capital will be sealed and domestic and international flights will be suspended, he said

There are 27 cases in Delhi - 6 of them fall under the category of transmission, 21 had come from foreign countries, the Chief Minister said.

The number of coronavirus positive patients in India rose to 341 on Sunday, as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

A total of 16,999 samples from 16,109 individuals have been tested for COVID-19 as of 10:00 am on March 22, as per ICMR data.