New Delhi, Dec 26 (Representative) The Delhi government has imposed 6 hours of night curfew from Monday onwards after the Covid-19 infection spread in the city crosses 0.5 per cent mark, pushing the national capital into the Yellow zone of Corona Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The officials said that the curfew will be imposed from 11 pm till 5 am. UNI had earlier reported on Saturday that deliberation to decide on the night curfew was underway. “An important step regarding the night curfew could be taken within next two days,” a source had said. The decision has come after the city on Sunday entered the first level of Covid GRAP which the state government had formed. Measures from night curfew to full lockdown are mandated to be enforced in the GRAP depending upon the severity of the Covid-19 situation.
Under the GRAP, four types of alert levels are directed concerning the Covid-19 situation. The first alert (Yellow grade) is issued when the positivity rate crosses 0.5 per cent for two consecutive days, following which, a night curfew is imposed. The national capital on Sunday logged 290 new cases and one death due to Covid-19 while the positivity rate was recorded at 0.55 per cent. Between December 18 and December 26, the national capital has recorded 1,348 new cases while the case positivity rose from 0.13 (Dec 18) to 0.55 per cent. The daily rise in positive cases is recorded after the national capital reported Omicron cases. According to the Sunday morning’s tally, 79 cases of the new variant have been recorded in Delhi while 23 among them were discharged. According to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) guidelines, the Covid-19 situation is classified into four levels of GRAP based on the infection spread.
Level-1 (Yellow): It is imposed when the positivity rate crosses 0.5 per cent for two consecutive days, 1500 new cases are registered in one week and 500 patients require oxygen beds. Level-2 (Amber): It is applicable when the positivity rate breaches 1 per cent for two consecutive days, 3500 new Covid-19 cases are recorded within a week and 700 oxygen beds get filled. Level-3 (Orange): In this, the positivity rate should be more than 2 per cent for two consecutive days. Also, the number of new cases in a week will need to be 9000 with 1000 patients requiring oxygen beds. Level-4 (Red): This will be applicable when the positivity rate is more than 5 per cent for two consecutive days, more than 16000 new Covid-19 cases come in a week and 3000 patients are admitted on oxygen beds. Night curfew will be put in Delhi in a Level-1 alert. In Level-2 and 3, a weekend curfew will be imposed in addition to the night curfew. Level-4 alert will call for a complete lockdown of the city.