Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 15: After near-lockdown like restrictions imposed in Maharashtra, the Delhi government has imposed week-end curfew in the national capital, Uttar Pradesh night curfew in 10 worst-hit districts while most of the state education boards decided to follow the footsteps of the CBSE board to cancel or postpone the board examinations as Corona pandemic continued to show upward surge all over the country. Announcing the restrictive measures the Delhi government decided to impose in the national capital, the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said since during the weekends the people only go out for entertainment or relaxations which can be curbed for the time being without affecting the productivity of the country, the government had decided to introduce week-end curfews starting from 10 P.M. on Fridays till 7 A.M. on Mondays in addition to the existing night curfew.
While the essential services during the curfew would continue to function normally, the restaurants, gyms, spa, swimming pools would remain closed while the cinema halls would be allowed to function only with 30 per cent audience.
Pointing out that Delhi was witnessing the fourth wave of infections which is far more severe than the last three waves, Kejriwal said though dining in the restaurants would not be allowed, “takeaway services” in Delhi restaurants would be permitted.
He claimed that there was no shortage of beds in the Capital. There are over 5,000 beds in the Capital but “Please do not insist on a hospital of your choice.”
“I request the media to restrain from showing statistics of beds available at hospitals.
“During the weekdays, people have to step out to earn their livelihood. But over weekend, people can avoid going out for entertainment and other activities.
“We will issue curfew passes for essential services and for those who are attending weddings over the weekend.
“Malls, gyms, spas and auditoriums will be shut from now on. Cinema halls can run with 30% occupancy only.
“Weekly markets: only one weekly market per day, per zone will be allowed to open.
“Imposing these restrictions right now are very important and I hope everyone will cooperate with the government. We will also be enhancing our enforcement drive to ensure people are maintaining social distancing and wearing masks,” Kejriwal said.
With 17,282 fresh infections, Delhi on Wednesday recorded the highest-ever Covid-19 cases, breaking its own previous daily spikes and pushing the cumulative tally to 767,438 cases, officials said. Pushing the national capital in the red zone, the positivity rate—the proportion of samples that test positive— spiked and was logged at 15.92 %, a sharp rise from 13.14 % a day earlier.
Weddings, however, would not be affected during the weekend curfew and passes would be provided to those attending weddings, Kejriwal said.
Stepping up the fight on the medicine front, the government will ensure supply of drugs like Remdesivir, which is needed in treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Public transport will operate with existing restrictions. As per the latest order, the capacity of Delhi Metro and DTC buses has been brought down to 50%.
The union health ministry while addressing reports of lack of oxygen said in a statement that mapping of oxygen cylinders has been done State-wise and use of industrial cylinders for providing medical oxygen has been permitted after due purging.
The Health ministry said it was placing orders for purchase of another one lakh oxygen cylinders.
Meanwhile, while the government refused to restrict devotees attending the “Kumbh Mela” where more than 1,700 people have reported Corona positive in the last five days, the Delhi High Court on Thursday allowed 50 people to offer namaz five times a day at the Nizamuddin Markaz mosque during Ramzan.
Justice Prathiba M. Singh directed the Station House Officer of Nizamuddin police station to permit entry of 50 people five times a day to offer namaz only on the first floor of the Masjid Bangley Wali.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has written a letter to the Centre, urging to consider the COVID-19 pandemic as natural calamity, so that the government can use the State disaster response fund (SDRF) to provide financial assistance to the affected people.
All State Disaster Management Acts have been formed as part of the Central disaster management law; hence the State needs the Union government’s permission to use the SDRF for helping the pandemic-hit people, a government official said.
“The Chief Minister wants to use the SDRF for the similar purpose as the coronavirus outbreak has affected the earnings of thousands of people in the state. We need a legal provision to do so, hence the state government has written to the Centre,” the official said.
While availability of hospital beds like the shortage of oxygen and Remdesivir injections have become an issue in most of the states, Tamil Nadu claimed that despite surge in the Covid cases, the bed occupancy in the state was only about 10 per cent.
‘Though the COVID-19 active caseload has crossed 50,000 in Tamil Nadu, bed occupancy across the State is less than 10%. In Chennai, 20% of the beds are occupied,” the Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said.
“Tamil Nadu has a robust healthcare system. Right now, we have 412 30-bed primary health centres that have not been brought to use for COVID-19; more than 50,000 beds in government medical college hospitals and 303 secondary care hospitals. People should not delay in seeking medical help,” he told reporters at the Government Medical College Hospital, Omandurar Estate, on Thursday.
In Uttar Pradesh, all schools will be closed till May 15 while board exams for Classes 10 and 12 have been postponed till May 20 in view of rising COVID-19 cases. The new dates for the board examinations will be decided in the first week of May, a state government official said.
“Schools up to Class 12 are being closed till May 15 and no examinations will also be held during this period. Also, U.P. board examinations for classes 10 and 12 have been postponed till May 20,” the official said.