Delhi under 55-hour-long weekend curfew: Know what’s allowed, what’s not
The national Capital is under a 55-hour-long weekend curfew. The curfew started from Friday night at 10 pm with an aim to curb coronavirus spread with cases increasing fast in the city with the positivity rate rising to over 17 per cent.
State Health Minister Satyendra Jain said Delhi is expected to report around 20,000 fresh cases today. “A weekend curfew has been imposed to minimise the spread of the coronavirus in Delhi. Visit the hospital only if you have severe symptoms. Treatment is possible under home-isolation. Wear a mask and follow all the COVID-related protocols,” Jain tweeted Saturday morning.
As the city is under curfew it is important to know what is allowed. NDTV shared a list of things allowed:
Only grocery shops, pharmacies will remain open.
Public transport, Metro will function.
Doctors, nurses, paramedics and other medical staff in hospitals, diagnostic centres, clinics, pharmacies can travel with a valid ID.
Pregnant women and patients requiring medical attention will be allowed to travel along with an attendant if they produce a doctor’s prescription.
Persons coming from/going to airports/railway stations/bus terminals can travel on production of a valid ticket.
Students shall be allowed to appear in examination on the production of valid Admit card.
The examination staff deployed for exam duties shall be allowed to travel on the production of a valid identity card or examination duty order.
People working in essential/emergency services like police, civil defence, prison, home guard, fire, emergency services can travel
And as the curfew begins, police and administration are keeping vigils.
Government officials, healthcare and frontline workers, diplomats and journalists will need to produce identity cards; those providing essential services will need to produce e-passes upon request, reported HT.
The HT further reported:
Movement of inter-state buses is allowed. However, you will need an e-pass or valid ticket to travel to the ISBT you are riding your bus from.
If you are commuting in an auto-rickshaw, e-rickshaw or cycle rickshaw for essential services or are going to get vaccinated against Covid-19 (with an e-pass), or for medical treatment. However, if you are stopped while travelling for reasons other than this, you will be prosecuted.
Cinemas, theatres, gyms and spas are shut on all days until further orders. Shops located inside shopping malls are operating on an odd-even basis (10am-8pm) and dine-in services at restaurants and bars is capped at 50% seating capacity on weekdays. These will, however, be shut during the weekend curfew. Only takeaways and deliveries will be allowed during this period.
“We are prepared to enforce curfew conditions and other coronavirus-related guidelines. People are likely to keep indoors as it has been raining which will make our task a bit easy,” said a district official, reported NDTV.
Only residents involved in essential services and those facing an emergency situation are allowed to step out of their homes provided that they produce e-passes issued by the government or valid identity cards.
People can apply for an e-pass for the weekend curfew and the night curfew on weekdays on delhi.gov.in.
“If anyone has any kind of emergency like going to a hospital etc. will be allowed to move. We request the citizens not to come out of their homes without any reason during the curfew and to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour,” Delhi Police public relations officer Chinmoy Biswal had said on Friday, reported NDTV.
