With an “immediate effect” the new restrictions under “yellow alert” will come into force in Delhi from today amid a surge in Covid cases as per the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
The new rules are-
- Night curfew between 10 pm to 5 am will now be imposed.
- Private offices will operate at 50% of the staff except for those designated essential services, which include hospitals, banks, media, telecom services and insurance companies.
- A maximum 20 people are allowed at funerals and weddings (taking place only at home or in court).
- 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 the odd-even rule.
- Schools, colleges, cinemas, multiplexes and gyms will be closed again.
- Restaurants and bars will close at 10pm with 50% capacity.
- Delhi Metro will operate at its 50% capacity.
- Barbershops, salons and parlours are allowed. Wellness clinics and Spas will be closed.
- Political, religious, and festival-related gatherings will not be allowed. Religious places can remain open but visitors will not be allowed.
- Public parks will also remain open, but no picnics or gatherings will be permitted.
With 331 new cases yesterday, the largest one-day increase in infections in Delhi in six months, the restrictions come on the heels. The proportion of Omicron cases rose from 2-3 % to 25-30 % within two weeks. The positivity rate—the percentage of samples that come back positive—was above 0.5 % for two days, which, according to GRAP, is the trigger for a yellow alert.