Kejriwal proposes to end weekend curfew in Delhi, L-G rejects

New Delhi, Jan 21: The Delhi government on Friday recommended lifting of the weekend curfew from 10 pm Fridays to 5 am Mondays as Covid cases a steady decline in the national capital.

However, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has rejected Kejriwal government proposal saying the status quo should be maintained till Covid-19 situation further improves.

Baijal approved the Delhi government's proposal to allow private offices to function with 50 per cent staff but suggested maintaining the status quo on lifting weekend curfew and removing odd-even rule for the opening of shops in the markets.

In NCT of Delhi (outside Containment Zones), all private offices shall be allowed to function with upto 50% attendance with immediate effect. They're advised to stagger office timing, presence and quantum of staff. They are further advised to follow work from home, as far as possible, the DDMA said.

"It is also clarified that Night Curfew from 10 PM to 5 AM everyday and Weekend Curfew from 10 PM of Friday till 5 AM of subsequent Monday, on movement of individuals in NCT of Delhi shall also remain in force till further order," it added.

Any decision on lifting the weekend curfew could be taken once the COVID-19 situation in Delhi improves further.

The capital has been witnessing a steady decline in COVID-19 cases except on Wednesday when it recorded 13,785 new cases.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said, "It seems that the peak of the third COVID-19 wave has gone past in the national capital."

Interacting with reporters, Jain said, "Delhi saw a record surge in the number of daily Covid cases recently with over 28,000 cases registered in a day and the positivity rate too had gone beyond 30 per cent."

The national capital reported 28,867 fresh COVID-19 cases on January 13, the sharpest single-day spike here since the outbreak of the pandemic, with a positivity rate of 29.21 per cent. On January 14, the positivity rate had increased to over 30 per cent.

Jain, however, cautioned that the peak of the Covid wave may have gone past in Delhi, but "still we cannot say that we are out of the danger zone yet and we need to watch the trend".