The Delhi government on Saturday introduced a new set of coronavirus-related restrictions such as limiting the number of people at bars and restaurants and banning most public gatherings, ANI reported. The new rules will remain in force till April 30.
Restaurants, movie halls and bars in the city will be allowed to operate with 50% of their seating capacity. Up to 50 people are allowed to attend weddings, and 20 will be allowed at funerals.
Swimming pools, except those where sportspersons are training for national and international events, will remain closed. Sporting events will be allowed at stadiums without spectators.
Metro trains and buses will also run at 50% of their seating capacity. Government offices will follow the same rule with employees. Private companies were directed to encourage their employees to work from home and stagger office timings to avoid crowding.
The Delhi government also made it mandatory for air passengers from Maharashtra to carry a negative RT-PCR (real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) test report not older than 72 hours. Passengers who fail to produce the report will be quarantined for 14 days.
Delhi on Saturday registered 7,897 new coronavirus cases, taking the total count since March 2020 to 7,14,423. Thirty-nine more deaths pushed the Capital’s toll to 11,235. On Friday, the Delhi government had ordered all schools to close until further orders. Earlier this week, a night curfew was imposed in the Capital from 10 pm to 5 am.
Coronavirus cases in India maintained the upward trend on Saturday, as the country reported 1,45,384 new infections in the last 24 hours. The country’s overall count of infections rose to 1,32,05,926 since the pandemic broke out last March. The toll went up to 1,68,436, with 794 more deaths in the last day.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!