New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday announced a weekend curfew and work from home for its offices as the city recorded 5,481 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest number since May 16, with a positivity rate of 8.37 percent and three fatalities.
During the weekend curfew that will come into force at 10 PM on Friday and will be in place till 5 AM on Monday to tackle a surge in COVID-19 driven by Omicron, all essential services will be allowed in the national capital.
DDMA released detailed guidelines on what will be allowed and which services will be restricted during the Delhi weekend curfew.
Who are exempted during the weekend curfew in Delhi?
- According to the order, people engaged in emergency and essential services will be allowed to go to work during the weekend curfew and night curfew on the production of valid identity cards.
- Central government officials and those in the autonomous or subordinate government offices and PSUs will be exempted on the production of valid identity cards.
- Judges and all judicial officers, staff members of all courts of Delhi as well as advocates, legal counsels, connected with the case hearing will be allowed on production
of valid I card, photo entry passes, permission letters Issued by the court administration. - Officials in offices of Diplomats of various countries as well as persons holding any Constitutional post will be exempted on the production of valid I card.
- Doctors, nursing staff, paramedics and those engaged in other medical services such as hospitals, diagnostic centres, testing laboratories, clinics, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, medical oxygen suppliers, and other medical and health services on production of valid ID card will be exempted from the weekend curfew.
- Pregnant women and patients for getting medical and health services along with an attendant will pe permitted on the production of valid identity card and doctor's prescription
- People going COVID-19 testing or vaccination, on the production of valid identity cards.
- Passengers going to or coming from airports, railway stations, inter-state bus terminuses are allowed to travel on the production of a valid ticket.
- Electronic and print media will be allowed on the production of valid identity cards.
- Persons or students shall be allowed to appear in the examination on the production of a valid admit card. The examination staff deployed for exam duties shall be allowed to travel on the production of valid identity cards or examination duty orders.
- Movement of individuals for marriage related-gatherings up to 20 persons on production of soft or hard copy of marriage card.
Delhi transport services to run with 100% capacity
- Transportation by Delhi Metro shall be allowed with 100% of the seating capacity. Standing passengers are not allowed.
- Intra-State (within NCT of Delhi) movement of buses shall be permitted with 100% sealing capacity of the buses. Standing passengers are not
allowed. In the case of buses, boarding shall be allowed only from the rear door while de-boarding shall be allowed only from the front door. - The is no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement, transportation of essential, non-essential goods. No separate permission or e-pass will be required for such movements.
Restrictions under GRAP
On December 28, the DDMA declared a 'yellow alert' after the positivity rate crossed the 0.5 per cent mark in the national capital.
- As per the yellow alert, cinema halls and gyms will be closed in the national capital
- Shops of non-essential items to open on an odd-even basis
- A night curfew under the colour-coded Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) alert is already in force in Delhi. The night curfew begins at 10 pm and ends at 5 am.
Apart from the aforementioned list, strict action will be taken against those who will be found violating the guidelines, mentioned in the DDMA order.