DDMA decides to remove weekend curfew & odd-even rule for shops in Delhi, night curfew remains

|HT|

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Thursday decided to remove the weekend curfew and odd-even rule for shops in the national capital. The night curfew, however, will remain. The decision wad taken after a meeting chaired by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present in the meeting.

The DDMA also decided capped the number of people who can attend wedding festivals in the national capital to 200. The bars and restaurants have been directed to operate with 50 per cent of seating capacity.

The DDMA also directed officials to ensure strict enforcement of Covid-19 protocols like wearing of mask and following social distancing.

It was further decided that reopening of schools will be discussed in next meeting.

There was growing clamour from traders, schools and other sections of the society to reduce the curbs in Delhi in allow activities as the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases have been falling steadily in the last few weeks. However, the national capital saw a slight increase in the daily Covid-19 on Wednesday when 7,498 new infections were recorded. This was 1,470 more from Tuesday’s figures when 6,028 cases.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government was pushing for easing the curbs, like odd-even rule for markets, and had even sent a proposal to Baijal in this regard earlier this month. The Lieutenant Governor, however, rejected it in the wake of Covid-19 spread and advised the private offices to stagger office timing.

The Kejriwal government said that the positivity rate in the national capital in on a decline and there are lower number of hospitalisations - the two grounds it says are enough to ease the curbs in the national capital. The positivity rate, according to Delhi health department’s bulletin, stands at 10.5 per cent.

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