Weekend lockdown imposed in Delhi

On a day when Delhi reported 5,481 fresh Covid-19 cases and three more deaths, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced that weekend lockdown will be imposed in the city from this weekend. Also, the Delhi metro and buses will now allow 100 per cent seat occupancy to avoid crowding at bus stops and stations.

The decision was taken in a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting to review the Covid-19 situation in the national capital.

“I request people to not go out during the weekends, unless it is an emergency,” Sisodia said.

“We noticed in some cases that because the seating capacity in buses was curtailed, long lines and crowd were seen at bus stops. These places were at a risk of becoming super-spreaders. We have decided that buses and metros will now run at full capacity, but no one will be allowed in without masks. This is being done to ensure there is no crowding at stations and bus stops,” he added.

The positivity rate in Delhi has now risen to 8.37%. The city now has 14,889 active cases. There are 168 people on oxygen support now while the number of patients on ventilators (14) has doubled in a day.

It was also decided that all Delhi government and municipal officials not involved in essential services will work from home. Private offices will be allowed to call 50 per cent of their staff to the office, the Deputy CM said.

“The graph of Omicron Covid cases is up across the world. The good thing is that international trends show that the variant is not causing severe disease. In Delhi, too, the same trend persists… Experts believe that Omicron mostly causes mild symptoms, or asymptomatic disease, and the recovery is also quick. But we do have to be careful and follow Covid appropriate behaviour. Experts believe that unless your oxygen is dropping, home isolation is the best bet. The government is wary and doesn’t want the disease to spread so that resources can be managed better,” Sisodia said.

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