NEW DELHI: Tightening measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, the Delhi government on Thursday announced that no restaurant, including those in five-star hotels, would be allowed to offer dine-in facility to customers till the end of this month.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made the announcement after holding a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on his government’s preparedness to stop the marauding march of the deadly contagion, which has already claimed thousands of lives across the globe. The cap on public gatherings in the national capital was reduced further from 50 to 20 people, the chief minister said.
He also announced that six patients being treated for COVID-19 symptoms in the Capital are recovering, adding that his government would act strictly against those who try to run away from the quarantine facilities. He claimed the government had managed to contain the spread of the virus. He said those quarantined will have stamp marks on their hands for the purpose of identification. “We have to be careful that those carrying the virus don’t infect others in any way. I hope and pray that everyone stays safe,” the chief minister said.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Education on Thursday ordered all schools in the Capital to postpone all ongoing examinations and stay shut till the end of this month. According to the circular released by the DoE, the heads of all schools, teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as students of schools run by the government, aided, private and municipal bodies have to stay at home.
“We have started tagging people who have been advised to go into self-quarantine. This has been done to prevent patients from fleeing the quarantine facilities. We want to tell all those who maybe planning to escape that we are facing a public health emergency and can’t let them run the risk of infecting others. They should follow the dos and don’ts.
Else, we’ll act strictly against them. The measures might include filing FIRs against them and taking them into custody. We’re disinfecting buses and Metros daily. Cabs and auto-rickshaws are also being cleansed on a regular basis,” Kejriwal said. The L-G asked the CM to explore the possibility of sending mobile vendors with essential items to residential areas so that people don’t have to step out. It was also decided to make thermal screenings of visitors mandatory at malls, courts, offices, hotels, hospitals and residential complexes.
Mobile vendors
The L-G asked the CM to explore the possibility of sending mobile vendors with items to residential areas so that people don’t have to step out.