Actively considering night curfew, weekend restrictions: Delhi govt tells HC

Delhi Night Curfew: The Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi has informed the High Court that it is actively considering whether to impose night curfew or weekend restrictions to flatten the Covid graph. The Delhi government submitted to the HC after it was asked whether the city government is mulling to take any specific measure like other states.

A bench comprising Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad asked the government sought to what kind of protocols are in place to ensure that 50 person cap on wedding attendees is enforced. The HC was hearing a plea seeking to ramp up COVID19 testing facilities in Delhi.

The HC also asked the city government to avoid cash transactions for paying fines for violating COVID-19 norms and create a portal for it. "What have you done with fine amounts collected for the violation of COVID-19 norms? Use it for a good cause," the HC said.

The court also observed that RTPCR testing numbers increased by the Delhi government after the loss of several lives and a lot of prodding by the court.

Several states have announced measures like night curfew and restriction on public gatherings in the last one week to check the rising cases of infection.

Earlier on Wednesday, Delhi recorded 5,246 fresh cases in a day as the positivity rate declined to 8.49 per cent, the lowest since October 28. A total of 99 people lost their lives, taking the death toll to 8,720. It was after five days that the national capital recorded single-day death below 100.