New Delhi: A weekend curfew has been imposed in the national capital and government offices not involved in essential services have been ordered to work from home, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced Tuesday as the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) scaled up restrictions in view of the surge in Covid-19 infections.
Metro trains and buses can now operate at full capacity, up from a 50 per cent cap imposed last week, Sisodia said, citing how crowds outside Metro stations and at bus stands due to current reduced seating could potentially become super-spreaders. But entry inside a Metro station or a bus without a mask isn’t allowed, said Sisodia.
All currently applicable restrictions that were imposed last week will continue, senior DDMA officials told ThePrint. These include night curfew, suspension of schools, colleges and education institutes, restrictions on political, religious, cultural, academic and other gatherings, cap on guest numbers for marriages and funerals, closure of bars, gyms and spas; letting restaurants operate dine-in areas at 50 per cent seating capacity, reduced hours for shops, and a rule that allows shops in markets and malls to open on alternate days.
The restrictions do not apply to shops dealing with essential goods — medicines, groceries, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat, etc — and essential services such as healthcare, water, power distribution, media, transport, etc.
Sisodia’s announcement came after a meeting of the DDMA chaired by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal Tuesday.
The new restrictions will apply with immediate effect as and when an official order is issued, two DDMA officials who attended the meet said on condition of anonymity.
On Monday, Delhi recorded 4,099 new cases, which took the total number of active cases to 10,986 in the city. The capital also recorded one death and a positivity rate of 6.46 per cent — the highest in eight months, government records showed.
‘Shouldn’t let guard down’
Addressing a video press briefing Tuesday, Sisodia said: “Cases of the Omicron variant have been mostly asymptomatic or mild so far. The recovery time is shorter. Currently, we have 124 patients on oxygen support and four on ventilators. We should not let our guard down.”
He added: “In the light of the current surge in cases, largely caused by Omicron, we have decided to impose some additional restrictions. There will be a curfew on weekends. Don’t step out from your homes unless urgent. Government offices, which do not deal with essential services, will adopt a work-from-home strategy. Private offices should continue to limit physical attendance of employees to 50 per cent.”
On Monday, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that 84 per cent of the samples sequenced in the last few days were found to be the Omicron variant of the virus.
(Edited by Amit Upadhyaya)
Also read: Omicron cases less severe than other waves, hospitalisation rate lower, shows study in Lancet