Yellow Alert in Delhi Over Rising COVID Cases: What's Allowed & What's Shut
The Level-1 or the Yellow alert has been instated as the positivity rate of COVID-19 in Delhi has risen over 0.5%.
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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, 28 December, announced that a Level-1 or 'Yellow' alert for COVID-19 restrictions will come into effect in the national capital, as the positivity rate of COVID-19 in the city surges over 0.5 percent.
Private offices in the national capital will operate at 50 percent capacity, and only 20 people will be allowed at weddings.
What are the restrictions? What will remain open? Here's all you need to know.
What will be shut in Delhi?
Schools
Educational institutions
Cinemas
Banquet halls
Auditoriums
Spas
Gyms
Entertainment parks
What about restaurants and hotels?
Restaurants and bars will be closed at 10 pm. When open, they will operate at half the capacity.
What are the rules for malls and shops?
Malls and shops will open on an odd-even basis, between 10 am and 8 pm. However, this rule does not apply to neighbourhood and standalone shops.
Shops and establishments dealing in essential goods and services will be allowed to open on all days.
What are the curbs on weddings?
Weddings are allowed with up to 20 people.
The function can can take place only at home or in court.
The 20-person rule also applies to funerals.
How many people are allowed in private offices?
Private offices will be able to open with 50 percent of their staff. Also, construction and manufacturing activities will be allowed to continue.
What about Delhi Metro and public transportation?
The Delhi Metro will be operational at 50 percent of its seating capacity under this level. Cabs and auto-rickshaws will be allowed to carry no more than two passengers.
What are the rules for night curfew?
A night curfew will be instated from 10 pm to 5 am.
What are the GRAP restrictions?
The Delhi government had previously devised a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which lays down a four-level, colour-coded alert system for the imposition of COVID curbs as per the severity of the outbreak in the national capital. The Yellow alert is the first level of restrictions under this plan.
The Level-1 or the Yellow alert will be instated when the positivity rate in Delhi rises above 0.5 percent, or oxygenated bed occupancy reaches 500, or if more than 1,500 fresh cases are reported, the Delhi government had announced in July.
Delhi on Monday reported 331 new cases, and a positivity rate of 0.68 percent. The capital city has recorded 165 cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant so far.
How prepared is the government as the cases see another surge?
"There is no need to worry or fear. The cases that are coming are mostly mild or asymptomatic. In most cases, there is no need for oxygen, hospital admission, ICU, or ventilator," the chief minister said in a statement on Tuesday.
The government is ready to handle the cases, he added.
"However, we do not want coronavirus to spread. This is why we are appealing to you to wear a mask when you go out, to malls, markets, and offices. We don't have to be scared, but we have to be responsible," Kejriwal said.
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