NEW DELHI: Beginning this week, Delhi will have curfew in force from Friday 10 pm to Monday 5 am in the wake of the unabated Covid-19 surge.
Only essential movement will be allowed during the period. The decision was taken at a review meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
Government employees except the essential services category will be asked to work from home and private offices will continue to work with 50 per cent capacity.
However, Delhi Metro trains and buses will now run at full capacity instead of 50 per cent, as decided earlier. The other curbs announced earlier, including night curfew, will continue till further orders, according to the authorities.
The Delhi government has asked all private hospitals and nursing homes having 50 beds or more to reserve at least 40 per cent of their total bed capacity for Covid-19 patients.
Chairing the review meeting, Lt-Governor Anil Baijal, who is also the DDMA chairperson, said the decision to impose weekend curfew, with emphasis on work from home during working days, was taken after a detailed discussions with experts.
“As advised by experts, during the review meeting of the Covid-19 situation in the city, the health department was directed to scale up preparedness relating to infrastructure and human resources in view of a possible surge in cases in the coming days,” a statement issued by Baijal stated.
The department had been advised to ensure adequate availability of ICU/ oxygenated beds, ventilators, essential medicines and sufficient supply of oxygen to deal with the emerging scenario, it added. It had also been advised to strengthen institutional quarantine facilities, home isolation strategy and to prioritise genome sequencing of hospitalised patients.
“It was also decided to develop all possible models, based on empirical data, of scenarios that could emerge for further review of strategy,” Baijal added. Experts present at the meeting included Niti Aayog’s Dr VK Paul, Professor Balram Bhargava of the Indian Council of Medical Research, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria and Dr SK Singh of the National Centre for Disease Control.
Weekend curfew What you need to know?
No non-essential movement will be permitted
Weekend curfew will remain in place from Friday night 10 pm to Monday morning 5 am
Cinemas, swimming pools, gyms, malls, zonal markets, residential markets to remain shut
Essential services, including supply of food items and medicines, will continue uninterrupted
It was in April 2021, when the Delhi government had last imposed weekend curfew during the second wave of Covid
Other curbs
100% government officials to work from home unless associated with essential services
Private offices to run with 50% capacity
Buses and Metros to run on 100% capacity to avoid congestion on bus stands and stations
Mask is mandatory in all public transports
Shopping malls to remain open on odd-even basis
Schools, colleges, educational institutes closed
50% capacity in restaurants