Covid-19 surge: Weekend curfew imposed in Delhi; metro trains and buses to operate with full capacity

NEW DELHI: Amid the rising Covid-19 cases and Omicron scare in the national capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Tuesday decided to impose weekend curfew.
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said in a digital press briefing after the meeting that out of the around 11,000 active Covid cases in Delhi at present, only 350 cases are admitted in hospital, out of which 124 patients are on oxygen support and 7 are on ventilator support.
Sisodia said that even though the majority of cases are very mild, a decision to impose a weekend curfew was taken in the DDMA meeting chaired by Delhi lieutant governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday.
Sisodia requested the Delhiites to stay at home as movement of only those in exempted categories would be allowed during the curfew.
While a night curfew is already in place, the weekend curfew would begin from 10pm on Friday and remain in effect till 5am on Monday.
Exempted categories include government officials engaged in essential services, all government and private healthcare workers, pregnant women and those who need health services, people coming from or going to airport, railway stations and ISBTs on production of valid travel ticket, those appearing for academic or recruitment exams on production of ID and admit card etc.
In another major decision taken by DDMA, Delhi Metro trains and public transport buses, which were running with 50% seating capacity and no standing passengers, would now be able to operate with full capacity, with social distancing and Covid safety protocols in place.
Sisodia said that this has been done to avoid the queues outside metro stations and crowding at bus stops becoming into super spreader areas.
Sisodia said that only those government employees who are engaged in essential services would come to work and others would work from home.
For private offices, the existing guideline of operations with 50% staff strength remains unchanged.