NEW DELHI: With more than 17,000 fresh COVID-19 cases in a single day, the highest ever, the Delhi government has decided to implement a weekend curfew in the national capital to break the chain.
After a high-level meeting with Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the decision. According to sources, the curfew will start from 10 pm on Friday and go on till 5 am on Monday.
"We are observing a huge spike in the number of cases in Delhi. The situation is becoming serious. On weekdays, people have their jobs and livelihood to deal with but on weekends people mostly step out for entertainment activities which can be curtailed. So the government has decided to impose a curfew at this time to break the chain," said Chief Minister Kejriwal.
According to the government, it was also decided to close malls, gymnasiums, spas and auditoriums for now, during the meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
Kejriwal also informed that no dine-in facilities will be allowed in the national capital and only home delivery of food is permitted. Besides, weekly markets will be restricted to one per day per zone. During this curfew, essential services will continue and for weddings, special passes will be given by the government to conduct ceremonies and for easy movement without any harassment.
The Chief Minister appealed to people to follow the restrictions strictly so that this fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic can come under control.
"All these restrictions are being implemented for the sake of safety of everyone but you all have to support us by following these restrictions. We will hopefully be successful in beating this fourth wave of coronavirus very soon," said Kejriwal.
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