NEW DELHI: Looking at the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the Delhi government on Saturday issued orders increasing restrictions to control the surge of coronavirus.
According to the order issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) all schools, colleges, swimming pools to remain closed till the end of this month. The government has restricted wedding guest limit to 50 people only and for funerals and cremation the limit is 20, these orders have come into effect immediately.
Earlier, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated that the government is not considering a complete lockdown situation but many curbs will be put in place to arrest the huge surge in the number of fresh coronavirus cases.
With respect to cinemas, public transport restaurants all will be allowed functioning but with 50 percent of the total seating capacity, said the DDMA’s order. The Delhi government has advised all private offices to promote working from home and stagger the office timings with an objective to reduce the number of employees attending office at the same time.
Government offices will work at 50 per cent capacity as well except for high-level Grade 1 officers. But frontline workers like in the health department, police, home guard and civil defence, fire and emergency services and district administrations will continue to work without any restrictions.
The deadly pandemic situation which is similar to last year’s in the national capital when daily number of fresh cases were touching new heights daily has once again brought serious restrictions on public movement, night curfew implemented by the government will remain in force till the end of this month.
For the last five days, Delhi has been recording more than 5,000 fresh coronavirus cases daily compelling the government to put these curbs in place.
The strict orders from the Delhi government also states that a negative RT-PCR report, not older than 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey, shall be compulsory for all such persons who are arriving from Maharashtra to Delhi by air, the passengers who are found without a negative report will have to remain quarantine for 14 days.
However, all constitutional and government functionaries and their staff members are exempted from these instructions, if they are asymptomatic.