Delhi to witness weekend curfew, gyms, malls to be shut, announces CM Arvind Kejriwal as Covid-19 cases spike
Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement about the weekend curfew comes a day after Delhi reported over 17,000 cases, the highest single-day spike, on Wednesday.
Delhi will observe a weekend curfew in view of the rising cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Thursday after his meeting with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.
Arvind Kejriwal said that gyms, spas and malls across the city will remain closed while cinema halls will operate at 30% capacity throughout the week. Essential services will remain functional and people going for weddings will be issued curfew passes, the chief minister said during a digital press briefing.
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No restaurants in Delhi will be allowed to provide customers with the dine-in facility, only takeaway and delivery services will be available, the chief minister announced, and added that only one weekly market per day per municipal zone will be allowed to operate to arrest spread of coronavirus in Delhi. Special provisions will be made to avoid overcrowding in the market, Kejriwal said.
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Kejriwal’s announcement comes a day after the capital reported over 17,000 cases, the highest single-day spike, on Wednesday. He said that restrictions are necessary to curb spread of fourth wave of coronavirus in the city and asserted that enforcement of Covid-19 norms will be strictly implemented in all public places.
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Even as cases are rising at a rapid pace, Kejriwal assured Delhiites that there is no shortage of Covid-19 beds in the city hospitals. On Sunday, during a media briefing, the chief minister had reached out to those who have tested positive so far and appealed to them that those with mild or no symptoms should not rush to hospitals and leave beds vacant for patients with severe symptoms
On Sunday, when the daily cases in the city had hit 10,000, Arvind Kejriwal had said that lockdown was no solution to the pandemic but the government may be compelled to impose full restrictions if the health care system collapses. The chief minister has time and again urged citizens to step out of their homes only if absolutely necessary.
The total infection tally of Delhi has reached 767,438. There are 50,736 active cases so far. With 104 additional deaths in the last 24 hours, the overall Covid-19 death toll of the national capital now stands at 11,540.