NEW DELHI: Delhi will continue to follow the lockdown guidelines without giving any relaxation till at least May 3, except allowing standalone non-essential shops to operate in neighbourhood markets as suggested by the Centre on Friday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday.Expressing satisfaction that fewer Covid-19 cases and deaths were reported in the city in the week gone by in comparison to the one before, Kejriwal said it was possible to win the fight the pandemic if the lockdown protocol was religiously followed.Addressing a digital press conference, Kejriwal said 622 new Covid-19 cases emerged in the capital in the past week in comparison to 850 in the week before. Similarly, nine corona patients died during the week in comparison to 21 in the previous one.Ironically, the CM’s remarks came on a day when the pandemic showed signs of surging again, with 293 new cases reported during the day.While Delhi government had earlier decided to review the lockdown relaxations by April 27, the CM said that except for the relief to shops in residential areas, existing curbs will continue till May 3.The government, on Sunday, released an order saying that it pursuance of the ministry of home affairs guidelines, it was allowing standalone and neighbourhood shops and those in residential complexes to operate with 50% strength of workers wearing masks and following social distancing.“Essential services will remain open, but markets, complexes and shopping malls will remain shut. We are not going to allow any more relaxations. We have worked hard to ensure stability and strength in our battle against corona, and we should not let anything push us back,” Kejriwal said, adding that the future course of action would be decided after May 3, depending on the decision the Union government takes.Kejriwal also said 580 people had recovered from the disease in the eighth week, as against 260 in the seventh.“We have seen in other countries that once the corona cases start increasing, the number jumps manifold. We were worried the week before when 850 cases had been reported. But people strictly followed the lockdown guidelines despite facing so many inconveniences. I am sure we will overcome the pandemic if we continue to do that,” the chief minister said.Delhi is the worst affected state after Maharashtra and Gujarat with 2,918 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 54 succumbing to the infection.The government order, however, made it clear that no shop would be allowed to open within the containment zone.