DDMA to decide today if Covid-hit Delhi needs more curbs
New Delhi, Jan. 10 (Delhi Crown): The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will decide on Monday whether further restrictions are required across the national capital in view of Covid-19 cases rising exponentially.
DDMA officials are expected to undertake a review of all stringent “Red Alert” curbs introduced under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
These restrictions include the need for imposing total curfew, closure of all non-essential shops, halting Delhi Metro operations and closing of all government offices not dealing with essential services.
A “Red Alert” is sounded when Covid-19 positivity rate rises beyond five percent and stays above it for two consecutive days.
Since December 28, the national capital has been under “Yellow Alert”, which includes night curfew, closure of educational institutions, opening of shops of non-essential items on alternate days and halving seating capacity in metro trains and public buses among others.
The Covid-Omicron surge has put the brakes on the Delhi government’s much promoted pilgrimage scheme for senior citizens that was launched in November last year.
Despite the surge, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has ruled out a complete lockdown in Delhi, but said that some curbs could be applied.
“We do not intend to impose a lockdown at the moment. We want to impose the least restrictions so that the people can earn their livelihood,” he said yesterday.
On Sunday, Delhi logged 22,751 infections in a single day spike. It also reported 17 deaths, while the Positivity Rate jumped to 23.53 percent, according to the daily health bulletin.
The new cases reported on Sunday, was the highest since May 1 last year when the city recorded 25,219 cases with a positivity rate of 31.61 percent.