A day after Delhi reported recorded 17282 new cases of Covid-19 and 104 deaths, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a weekend curfew in the national capital. Kejriwal said, those who are scheduled to attend weddings in Delhi will be provided e-passes to facilitate movement during the weekend curfew.
The Delhi CM assured that essential services would not be affected due to the weekend curfew.
However, he added that malls, gyms, spas, and auditoriums will remain closed. Cinema halls will be operational with just 30 percent seating capacity, announced Kejriwal.
In addition, restaurants will be able to provide home delivery or take away, but no dine-in will be allowed. Also, one weekly market per day per municipal zone will operate to arrest the spread of coronavirus in Delhi.
He further told that there is no shortage of beds in Delhi and more than 5,000 beds are still available in the national capital.
Kejriwal made this announcement after holding an emergency meeting with Lt Governor Anil Baijal and then with Health Minister Satyendar Jain.
Last week, the Aam Aadmi Party government had imposed the night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am till April 30.
We may recall that the Delhi CM had said that lockdown is no solution to curb the COVID-19 spread earlier this week. He, however, added that lockdown in Delhi would impose only if the "hospital system collapses".
Amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases, the Delhi government had yesterday issued an order to increase the number of beds reserved for coronavirus patients at its hospitals and attach hotels and banquet halls to these facilities.
With this, we will add around 3269 beds to COVID health facilities in the city.
Meanwhile, crematoriums and burial grounds in Delhi are struggling to manage resources. As per official figures of confirmed and suspected cases, COVID-19 has killed 513 people in the national capital in the first 14 days of April.
