Fresh curbs in Delhi: Weekend curfew, malls and gymnasiums shut

A DAY after town recorded the best single-day spike (17,282 circumstances), the Delhi authorities on Thursday introduced recent restrictions to verify the unfold of Covid-19, together with a weekend curfew, closure of procuring malls, auditoriums, gyms, spas, bars and dine-in providers at eating places.
The nationwide capital recorded 16,699 new circumstances and 112 deaths on Thursday. The positivity price, nevertheless, elevated from 16 per cent on Wednesday to twenty per cent on Thursday, whereas the variety of exams fell from over a lakh to about 80,000.
Announcing the brand new restrictions, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal mentioned: “Weekend curfew will be imposed in the city. On weekdays, people go out to earn. During weekends, people mostly go out for entertainment purposes. So to break the chain of transmission, weekend curbs are being enforced.”

An order issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) mentioned the “weekend curfew on movement of individuals” could be from “10 pm Friday (April 16) to 5 am Monday (April 19)”. The different curbs, together with night time curfew which was imposed earlier, will keep until April 30.
According to the DDMA order, “all shopping malls, gyms, spas, auditoriums, assembly halls, entertainment parks and similar places will be closed” by the week. However, cinema halls/ multiplexes will probably be allowed to function with 30 per cent capability.
“Bars and restaurants shall not be allowed to operate. Restaurants may give only home delivery, takeaway,” says the order. Also, “only one weekly market per day per zone” will probably be allowed.

During the weekend, whereas restrictions have been imposed on motion of individuals, these engaged in important providers have been exempted. These embrace authorities officers, police, well being employees, pregnant ladies and different sufferers, individuals travelling to and from airports, railway stations and ISBTs, digital and print media.
Public transport like buses, Metro, cabs and autos will probably be allowed to ply throughout the weekend for these falling within the exempted classes.
Curfew passes will probably be issued to individuals engaged in operating outlets promoting medicines, groceries, fruit and veggies, dairy and milk cubicles, meat and fish; individuals working in banks, telecom/ web providers, supply of important items, petrol pumps; these going for Covid-19 vaccination.
Those attended weddings and funerals throughout the weekend will even be issued e-passes by the district authorities – 50 individuals for weddings, 20 for funerals.
There will probably be no restrictions on inter-state or intra-state motion or transportation of important or non-essential items.
Delhi was underneath full lockdown between March 22 and May 18 final 12 months. Beginning May 19, town reopened in phases.

The determination to deliver again the curbs was taken at a gathering attended by Kejriwal, Lt Governor Anil Baijal and prime officers of the Delhi administration. Kejriwal had earlier introduced that he was not in favour of a lockdown, however would haven’t any different possibility if hospitals began operating out of beds.
“There is no shortage of beds in Delhi. Over 5,000 beds are available and we are trying to add more beds, including those with oxygen support. But cases are rising and the government has taken a few measures,” he mentioned on Thursday.
According to the Delhi authorities’s dashboard at 6 pm Thursday, of the 15,346 beds for Covid-19 sufferers in Delhi, 4,632 are vacant. In case of ICU beds, solely 494 out of three,805 can be found. However, a number of accounts have emerged on social media complaining that the bottom scenario is worse than the dashboard knowledge.

Kejriwal later informed NDTV that L-G Baijal would method the Centre for extra beds in hospitals that fall underneath the Union authorities. Asked about the opportunity of a chronic lockdown, Kejriwal replied: “The situation is extraordinary so the weekend curfew is being imposed. And this will remain in force only this coming weekend… As on date, a lockdown does not look necessary. I have always been against lockdowns…but today we have a 20 per cent positivity rate. If it dips, then there is no reason to worry. But if it goes on rising, to what extent will we be able to add beds? After all there are limited doctors and nurses.”