Covid Curbs: Schools, Cinemas, Gyms Shut In Delhi, Shops In Malls To Operate On Odd-Even Basis

New Delhi: Private offices in Delhi will operate at 50 per cent, malls and shops will open on odd-even basis and weddings will be allowed with only up to 20 people as new restrictions under a “yellow alert” take effect in the capital from today amid a surge in Covid cases. Though the restrictions were announced at 3 pm, more than half-way through the work day, the government said they would be in “immediate effect”.

Also Read: Citizens Need To Shoulder The Responsibility, Follow COVID Appropriate Behaviour: Experts On Fighting Omicron

Here are the new rules –

• There will be a night curfew between 10 pm and 5 am daily
• Private offices to function with 50% staff barring those designated essential services, which includes media, banks, insurance companies and telecom services.
• Weddings are allowed with up to 20 people and they can take place at home or in court. The 20-person limit also applies to funerals.
• Malls and shops will open on an odd-even basis, between 10 am and 8 pm. Online deliveries can continue.
• Standalone shops or markets in residential colonies will not follow odd-even.
• Cinemas, multiplexes and gyms will be closed again. Schools and colleges will stay shut.
• Restaurants and bars will be closed at 10 pm and they will operate at half capacity.
• The Delhi Metro will function with half its capacity.
• Salons, barber shops and parlours will be allowed. Public parks will also stay open, but picnics or gatherings won’t be allowed. Spas and wellness clinics will be closed.
• Political, religious, festival-related gatherings won’t be allowed.

The restrictions follow Delhi’s biggest single-day spike in infections in six months yesterday, with 331 new cases. The positivity rate – the percentage of samples that return positive — was above 0.5 per cent for two days, which, according to GRAP, is the trigger for a yellow alert.

Also Read: Omicron Highly Transmissible, People Have Become Lax: AIIMS Chief

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity,  that is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.