NEW DELHI, Jan 4: With covid cases surging in Delhi at a blistering speed, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting under the chairmanship of Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday decided to clamp more restrictions in the Capital.
As per the decisions, a weekend curfew will be imposed, private offices will
be allowed to function at 50% capacity only and the Delhi State Government employees
barring those engaged in essential services will work from home (WFH). However,
the Metro and buses will run to full capacity, unlike the present 50% capacity
under the Yellow Alert in force since last Wednesday. With overcrowding because
of the reduction in running capacity, Metro stations and bus stops had become
superspreaders.
There will be weekend curfew on Saturdays and Sundays, which will be in force
from 10 pm on Friday till 5 am on Monday as under the Yellow Alert already in
force there is night curfew from 10 pm till 5 am on all days.
This would mean the colour-coded Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will not
be followed in letter and spirit as the infections are mild and hospitalisations
are low. Else, a full 'Red Alert' should have come into play with the TPR crossing
the 5% threshold for two consecutive days as per the GRAP. (The TPR is currently
above 5 per cent for the last two straight days). A 'Red Alert' entails imposition
of complete lockdown as was done in early 2020 and during the devastating second
wave last year.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in a digital press briefing
after the DDMA meeting that out of the around 11,000 active covid cases in Delhi
at present, only 350 cases are admitted in hospitals, out of which 124 patients
are on oxygen support and 7 on ventilators. (SEE: What is shut and what is open: Level I to
Level IV)
A virtual meeting of the DDMA was held last Wednesday too but it was decided
then also to 'wait and see' for some more time before clamping harsh restrictions
on business activities in the Capital. Although the TPR had breached the GRAP's
Level II, there were no alarming situation of a surge in serious cases of hospitalisations
due to covid or Omicron in Delhi, the meeting had concluded. On Wednesday there
were 923 cases which is an 86% jump from Tuesday's and the highest since May
30. But the TPR had climbed to 1.29 %, crossing the 0.5% threshold and then
the Yellow Alert came into effect.