NEW DELHI:  In view of rising COVID-19 cases in the national capital, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government on Thursday announced a weekend curfew in order to prevent the deadly infection from spreading further.


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This weekend curfew in Delhi will come into force from 10 PM Friday night till 6 AM on Monday.


"To control the spread of COVID-19, it has been decided to impose a weekend curfew in Delhi", Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference.



The AAP chief said that the restrictions announced today are necessary to curb the spread of coronavirus in Delhi. The Chief Minister also announced sweeping restrictions, including the closure of malls, gyms, spas and auditoriums, in a bid to break the chain of COVID infections in the city.


He warned that enforcement of COVID-19 norms will be strictly implemented in public places. COVID-19 cases, he said, are rising every day in Delhi and restrictions were needed to check the spread of the virus.


The Chief Minister added that one weekly market per day per municipal zone will operate to arrest the spread of coronavirus in Delhi. The CM also assured that "there is no shortage of beds in hospitals in Delhi. According to the latest data, more than 5000 beds are available.''



Kejriwal further added that curfew passes will be issued to those rendering essential services. "Malls, gyms, spas and auditoriums will be closed. Cinemas halls to operate at 30% capacity only. People will not be allowed to dine-in restaurants, only home deliveries permitted," CM Arvind Kejriwal said.


The Delhi CM made this announcement after holding a crucial meet with Lt Governor Anil Baijal regarding the coronavirus situation in the UT. It was earlier reported that CM Arvind Kejriwal may announce a weekend curfew in Delhi.


The development comes as the national capital on Wednesday recorded the biggest single-day jump in its COVID-19 tally with 17,282 new cases, while over 100 people died.


Additionally, the national capital reported over 104 deaths, whereas the country reported 1,033 deaths due to COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, which was the highest since October 2020. In Delhi, the number of cremations at its biggest crematorium, Nigambodh Ghat has gone up by at least 30 percent. 


Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had earlier said that COVID-19 cases are rising very rapidly in the national capital but “there is no slowdown”. The minister, however, had also reiterated that lockdown was not a solution to the situation, and advised people to step out only if urgent, avoid gatherings, wear masks and follow COVID-19-appropriate behaviour.


A massive spike of 2 lakh new COVID-19 cases took India's total coronavirus count to 1.40 crore, as per the Union Health Ministry on Thursday (April 15, 2021). India reported 2,00,739 new COVID-19 cases alongside 93,528 recoveries and 1,038 deaths in the last 24 hours. The unprecedented surge in infections has taken the country's active count to 14,71,877.


Ten states namely Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan have shown a rise in the COVID-19 daily new cases. 82.04% of the new cases are reported from these 10 states only.


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