No lockdown in Delhi but strict restrictions will continue: Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Despite growing concerns over spiralling COVID-19 cases in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday ruled out imposing lockdown for now. “Don't worry, we will not impose lockdown...At the DDMA meet we requested central govt officials to cover the entire NCR for restrictions, they assured us on the same,’’ Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said while speaking to reporters.

The Delhi Chief Minister further said, “We are expecting that the city would report somewhere around 20,000-22,000 new COVID-19 cases in Delhi. The positivity rate has been around 24-25 per cent for the past two days. We are enforcing strict restrictions like night curfew in Delhi out of compulsion."

The AAP chief further said that most cases of coronavirus during the third wave are showing mild symptoms unlike the second wave, which was caused by the life-taking Delta variant. Omicron variant of COVID-19 is less virulent but highly contagious, he added. 

The Chief Minister along with Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jai visited the LNJP hospital to take stock of preparation to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the national capital.

Talking about the COVID-19 patients admitted to the LNJP hospital, he said, "Out of the 136 patients, 130 came to hospital for getting treatment of other diseases and contracted the virus incidentally." He further added, "Delhi has the capacity to set up 37,000 beds with 11,000 ICU beds."

The Delhi CM also requested the Central Government representatives, who attended the DDMA meeting, to enforce restrictions in the NCR region also. 

DDMA orders private offices to work from home

In the wake of a spike in COVIDvid-19 cases, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has directed all private offices, barring those under exempted categories in the national capital, to send their employees to work from home.

"All private offices, except those which are falling under the `Exempted Category` as prescribed in DDMA`s GRAP order dated 08.08.21. The practice of work from home shall be followed," the order read.

The exempted categories include healthcare workers, those involved in essential services, media persons, judges and judicial officers, staff in the offices of diplomats of various countries.

Till now, offices were asked to function with half their employees in the office and the rest at home. Government offices in the national capital are already working with 50 per cent capacity.

Besides, only one weekly market per day per zone will be allowed to operate. The DDMA meeting decided that the restrictions will be tightened further in the national capital amidst the spike in Covid-19 cases, but there will be no lockdown for now.

Delhi reported a 25 per cent surge in COVID-19 cases after recording 19,166 fresh cases. With this, the infection tally has climbed to 15,68,896. Meanwhile, the city has recorded 17 covid deaths on the second consecutive day, pushing the death toll to 25,177.