PremiumDemands have been raised by several quarters, including traders and political parties, for further relaxations such as lifting night curfew, permitting weekly markets in all municipal zones, and allowing visitors in religious places
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The Covid-19 restriction in the national capital may be relaxed further next week after the expected meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), reported news agency PTI on Friday.
This comes after demands were raised by several quarters, including traders and political parties, for the lifting of the night curfew and permitting weekly markets in all municipal zones.
Chairman of Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) Brijesh Goyal has questioned the continuance of night curfew, saying it was hurting traders. He said that now the marriage season has started and people are going to face problems due to night curfew.
Further, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta on Thursday wrote a letter to Lt Governor and DDMA chairman Anil Baijal, requesting him to allow visitors to temples and other religious places. Currently, religious places are permitted to open without visitors.
The DDMA in its meeting on 4 February had extended the imposition of night curfew but slashed the timing by an hour from 11 pm to 5 am. Non-essential shops are allowed to open till 8 PM due to the night curfew.
The government had also allowed the reopening of schools for classes 9 to 12 from 7 February, while that of the nursery to standard 8 from 14 February.
Further, it said that all government and private offices have been permitted to function at 100% capacity. The gyms have also been allowed to reopen with certain restrictions.
However, several restrictions like only one weekly market permitted in a municipal zone, no standing passengers allowed in buses and Metro trains, 50% cap on seating capacity in restaurants, bars and cinemas and no activity except weddings in banquet halls are yet to be relaxed even though the pandemic situation has improved in Delhi.
Covid situation in city
Delhi on Friday reported 977 fresh Covid-19 cases and 12 more deaths, while the positivity rate dropped to 1.73%, according to data shared by the city health department.
With this, the national capital's case count increased to 18,49,596 and the death toll climbed to 26,047, the latest health bulletin stated.
The number of daily cases in Delhi has been on the decline after touching the record high of 28,867 on 13 January.
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