New Delhi, January 04:
A weekend curfew may be enforced in Delhi amid rising Covid cases, sources said today after a meeting on new restrictions.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority met to decide on new curbs in Delhi. The surge means new restrictions under the colour-coded Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
With the positivity rate above 5 per cent for two straight days, Delhi faces “red alert” restrictions like a total curfew barring essential services, a shutdown of non-essential shops, malls and salons and more curbs on public transport, weddings and funerals.
Delhi has reported a rising positivity rate – the number of people testing positive for every 100 tests – with 4,099 new cases in 24 hours on Monday. The positivity rate in Delhi is at 6.46 per cent, the highest since May.
A “yellow alert” has been in place in the capital since December 29. Cinemas, gyms are shut and shops have been allowed on an odd-even basis. Metro trains and buses can only operate at half the capacity.
Top health ministry sources say Delhi may see 20-25,000 cases a day by mid-January and hospitalisations may increase.
At the current rate of infection, Delhi may report 8-9,000 daily cases by January 8, top sources in the Union Health Ministry told.
“By January 5, there could be 20-25,000 daily cases in Delhi,” the sources said, cautioning against underestimating the Omicron surge.
