NEW DELHI: The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Tuesday decided to impose a weekend curfew in Delhi, starting from this week, owing to a major rise in Covid and Omicron cases in the national capital.
Only essential movement will be allowed during the curfew.
While the weekend curfew will remain in force between 10 pm Friday and 5 am Monday, the other curbs, along with the night curfew, will continue till further orders, according to the authorities.
Meanwhile, government employees except the essential category will also be asked to work from home and private offices will continue to work with 50 percent capacity.
Buses and metros to run at full capacity
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, while addressing a press conference and announcing the DDMA’s order, also talked about the chaos witnessed at bus stops and metro stations last week after the government had restricted the occupancy of buses and metros to 50 percent.
He said, “There were long queues witnessed outside the metros and chaos at the bus stands which could easily lead to the spread of Covid or Omicron in the city. This is the reason the government has decided that public transport -- buses and metros -- will run at full capacity from now but with entry strictly with masks.”
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Sisodia emphasized that residents should leave their homes only if it is necessary or for essential services.
Delhi on Monday had logged 4,099 fresh Covid-19 cases with a positivity rate of 6.46 percent. One more person had died due to Covid-19 while 1,509 were reported to have recovered.
Sisodia said that in the past 8-10 days, Delhi has received 11000 positive cases out of which 350 patients are in hospital, of which 124 are on oxygen beds and seven on ventilators.
He added, “The Omicron graph is increasing day by day but Delhi has the same trend as that of other countries in the world. It is not leading to any damage. According to experts, Omicron is mild and most patients remain asymptomatic. People are getting better early. We just need to be very cautious of Covid and follow the home isolation module prepared by the government.”
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