With the rise in coronavirus cases, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Tuesday has ordered all private offices in Delhi to remain closed, except those in the exempted category. Work from home will be followed by private offices, reads the order issued by DDMA. At present, all private offices are working from home with 50 per cent of their employees coming to office. Earlier, DDMA had banned eating in the restaurant. As per the existing rules, till now restaurants were allowed to operate dine-in facility at 50 per cent of their seating capacity from 8 am to 10 pm. Bars in the city were also allowed to open from 12 noon to 10 pm with 50 percent seating capacity.
The DDMA notification reads, "DDMA directs that in the territory of NCT of Delhi (outside Containment Zones), the following additional activities shall also be prohibited/restricted with immediate effect till further orders: (i) All Private Offices shall be closed, except those which are falling under the "Exempted Category". The practice of work from home shall be followed. (ii) All Restaurants and Bars shall be closed. However, restaurants will be allowed only for home delivery/takeaway of food items."
Covid-19 in Delhi
Delhi is witnessing an alarming rise in new COVID-19 cases with the national capital registering around 20,000 new infections daily. Delhi on Monday recorded 17 more deaths due to COVID-19 and 19,166 infections in a day, as the positivity rate rose to 25 per cent, the highest since May 4 last year.
In the first 10 days of this month, Delhi has recorded 70 COVID-related deaths, which is more than the number of deaths reported in the city in the last five months. According to government data, in the last five months - nine people died in December, seven in November, four in October, five in September and 29 in August. Health minister Satyendar Jain said, "cases in the city are likely to peak "in a day or two, certainly this week", and after that the third wave of infections will start to subside."