Delhi Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday that the government has decided to withdraw its order to relax the cap on the number of wedding attendees, effectively bringing the number back to 50. However, the measure would need to the approval of Lieutenant Governor (LG) Anil Baijal, who is the chairman of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
Kejriwal also said that he would request the Center to allow the Delhi government to temporarily shut down markets identified as potential Covid-19 hot spots for the rampant violation of social distancing rules and other Covid-19-related regulations.
“A few weeks ago, when the Covid-19 situation had improved, the limit of meetings in marriages was relaxed, from 50 to 200 people. The government has decided to withdraw the order and bring the limit on the size of wedding-related meetings back from 200 to 50. The proposal was sent today for LG’s approval, “the prime minister said at a press conference in video.
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He added: “During Diwali, we witnessed massive crowds at markets across the city and, in some of them, large numbers of people were found not wearing masks or following social distancing rules. This has caused the transmission of the coronavirus. Although the crowds are expected to shrink in the markets now, we will send a proposal to the central government requesting that they allow us to temporarily close those markets where we see rampant violation of social distancing norms and Covid-19 regulations, which we assess as potential. Hot spots. “
Under current guidelines from the Union Ministry of the Interior, states need Union Ministry approval to impose local restrictions similar to closures.
Kejriwal on Tuesday thanked the Center for its recent intervention in Delhi’s fight against Covid-19 and specifically mentioned the shortage of ICU beds. “Total beds are adequate in Delhi. Although the occupancy in private hospitals is high, there is a crisis of ICU beds. I thank the central government for their timely intervention and the 750 ICU beds that they have insured, ”he said.
As at noon Tuesday, city hospitals, including public and private ones, had 3,564 ICU beds reserved for Covid-19 cases, of which 3,145 were occupied, according to government records.
The prime minister also asked people not to lower their guard at all costs. “Covid-19 does not discriminate. It can happen to anyone. You have to strictly follow the rules and take all the precautions, “he said.
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