With the daily count of fresh Covid-19 infections touching a 6-month high and cases of the Omicron variant also on the rise in the national capital, the Delhi government on Wednesday banned all gatherings to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
As many as 125 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the national capital on Wednesday, which is the highest in the last six months, raising fears that infections may suddenly surge again.
Delhi has also recorded 57 Omicron cases so far, which is the highest among all states and union territories in India. A total of 213 cases of the heavily mutated strain of Covid have been detected in India, with Delhi and Maharashtra accounting for more than half the cases.
All social, political, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious, festival related gatherings and congregations have been prohibited, according to an order by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
Educational institutions, subject to strict compliance to SOPs issued by the DDMA, will be allowed to function. Restaurants and bars will be allowed to function at up to 50% seating capacity.
Funerals and last rites related gatherings shall be permitted with a ceiling of 200 people.
Marriage related gatherings will also be allowed with a 200-people ceiling.
However, Delhi Metro and plying of buses will continue at 100% capacity.
District administration officials and the Delhi police have been directed to enforce the orders and submit daily reports. Market trade associations have also been told to deny entry to customers without masks.
Meanwhile, India reported 6,317 new Cvoid-19 infections on Wednesday, which is an 18 per cent increase over Tuesday’s 5,326 cases. While 318 deaths were registered due to the pandemic over the past 24 hours.
Maharashtra has reported 54 cases of Omicron while Telangana with 20 cases is next on the list. They are followed by Karnataka (19), Rajasthan (18), Kerala (15) and Gujarat (14).
Amid signs of rise in infections from the new variant, the Centre, in an advisory, has asked the states to activate "war rooms" and re-impose night curfews and limit gatherings for social occasions such as weddings and funerals to check spread of the disease.
Also read: Fast-spreading Omicron infecting fully vaccinated people too, says WHO
