A worker fumigates inside Delite Cinema Hall, a day ahead of the opening with half sitting capacity
The Delhi Metro and public buses will operate with full seating capacity from today (Monday), while cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes will open with 50 per cent occupancy. The announcement was made by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Saturday, as the national capital sees a continued fall in the number of daily coronavirus cases and fatalities.
Delhi battled a brutal second wave of the pandemic that claimed a massive number of lives, with the shortage of oxygen at hospitals across the city adding to the distressing situation. On April 20, Delhi had reported 28,395 cases, the highest in the city since the beginning of the pandemic. On April 22, the case positivity rate was 36.2 per cent, the highest so far.
Delhi unlocks: Here are the guidelines
- The Delhi Metro will be allowed to operate with 100 per cent seating capacity from today, but no standing passenger will be allowed
- Cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes will be allowed to open with 50 percent seating capacity
- Business-to-business (B2B) exhibitions will also be allowed, but only with business visitors
- The number of people allowed at marriage functions and funerals has now been raised to 100
- Owners of the banquet halls, marriage halls, hotels etc. shall be responsible for ensuring strict compliance of COVID Appropriate Behaviour (viz. wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing, regular hand washing and use of sanitizer etc.) to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus
- In case, any violation is found, strict penal /criminal action shall be taken against the owner of the premises as well as against the individual and the premises shall be sealed forthwith
- Spas can also open from today, but all employees have to be fully vaccinated or undergo an RT-PCR test fortnightly. Also, six-feet distance shall be in general maintained between clients and employees
- Intrastate (within NCT of Delhi) movement of buses (DTC as well as cluster) shall be permitted with 100 per cent seating capacity. No standing passenger shall be allowed in buses
- In the case of buses, boarding shall be allowed only from the rear door while de-boarding shall be allowed only from the front door
- Public transport such as autos and e-rickshaws (up to two passengers) / Taxis, Cabs, Gramin Sewa & phat phat Sewa (up to two passengers) / Maxi cab (up to five passengers) / RTV (up to 11 passengers) shall be allowed
- Religious places shall be permitted to open but no visitors will be allowed
- Stadia/sports complexes will be permitted to open without spectators
- Detailing the norms spas need to follow, the order said six-feet distance shall be in general maintained between clients and employees
- All schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will remain closed and online or distance learning will be permitted
- Activities that are prohibited and restricted will remain so from 5 am on July 26 till till 5 am on August 9
Delhi unlocks: 16 additional metro gates to be operational from today
As many as sixteen additional entry gates of metro stations will be made operational from Monday. As per a statement, the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) is already facilitating passenger entry at all its stations through 260 gates.
The stations that will have an additional operational gate are - Uttam Nagar East, Janakpuri West, Dwarka Mor, Karol Bagh, Vaishali, Noida Sector 18, Noida City Centre, Azadpur, GTB Nagar, Govind Puri, Green Park and MG Road.
At Model Town, Kashmere Gate and Central Secretariat stations, additional gates will be open only for entry.
These 16 are in addition to these already operational gates.
Special COVID-19 instructions for spas in Delhi
Though spas across the national capital have now been allowed to open, specific guidelines have been issued for the same. According to an order by the DDMA, "Service providers i.e., therapists etc. shall maintain all standards of hygiene, masking, etc., and all therapists and other employees, as also the visitors, shall be subjected to temperature checks and if anyone shows symptoms, they would not be permitted entry in the establishment."
"All service providers shall wear face shields and masks while providing therapy. For treatments that are longer than 30 minutes, a PPE kit should also be worn in addition. Clients should preferably wear masks to the extent possible, considering the nature of services which are availed of," it said.
The DDMA also said that all visitors/clients shall sign a declaration form to the effect that they have not contracted COVID-19 and if they have, they have tested negative subsequently.
The establishments are permitted to take a written consent form, accepting the risks that may be involved for clients/visitors, the order said.
Tools including clothing, other apparel, towels, etc., used for clients shall be sanitized after each and every treatment, it added.
"It shall be ensured that hygienic conditions are maintained in the spas and other safeguards in force for salons shall also be adhered to by the spas," it said.
COVID-19 situation in Delhi
The national capital reported 66 COVID-19 cases and two deaths due to the infection on Sunday, while the positivity rate stood at 0.09 per cent, according to data shared by the health department. With the new cases, the overall infection tally in the city climbed to 14,35,910. Of this, over 14.10 lakh patients have recovered from the disease. The death toll now stands at 25,043.
On Saturday, Delhi reported 66 new cases of COVID-19 with a positivity rate of 0.09 per cent and zero deaths.
On Friday, the city had reported 58 cases and one death.
There are 579 active cases in Delhi at present and 167 of them are being treated at home. The number of containment zones stands at 309, a bulletin said.
The bulletin said 70,758 tests, including 49,568 RT-PCR tests, were conducted on Saturday.
