Covid-19: Delhi eases curbs; no weekend curfew, restaurants to operate at 50% capacity

Weekend curfews and odd-even rules for shops in New Delhi have come to an end after a meeting chaired by Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal decided on Thursday to relax the rules.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was also at the meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), said the state government had no plans to impose a lockdown in the national capital despite a surge in cases.

On Wednesday, 7,498 new infections were recorded, as against 6,028 a day earlier.

Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party government has called for an easing of curbs especially as the positivity rate was on a decline (at 10.5 per cent) and there were lower number of patients being hospitalised. His earlier plea had been rejected. The chief minister urged citizens to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Kejriwal said he had pushed for lifting restrictions to provide relief to traders.

While the DDMA removed the weekend curfew and the odd-even rule for shops, the night curfew will continue and schools will also remain closed.

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The number of people who can attend weddings has been pegged at 200 and restaurants have been directed to operate with 50 per cent seating capacity.

The Confederation of All India Traders had earlier urged Baijal to relax the conditions, withdraw the odd-even system and the weekend lockdown. It had suggested that non-vaccinated people should not be allowed in public places.

• India