Covid Call on Yellow alert imposing GRAP to be taken after discussions say Delhi officials
New Delhi Dec 27 PTI The citys COVID-19 case positivity rate remained above 05 per cent on the second consecutive day on Monday with Delhi government officials assessing the situation before taking a decision on sounding a yellow alert and imposing restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan GRAPDelhi on Monday recorded 331 COVID-19 cases the highest single-day rise since June 9 and one death while the positivity rate mounted to 068 per cent according to data shared by the city health departmentOn Sunday it recorded 290 cases with a positivity rate of 055 per cent and one fatality according to officials figuresFurther discussions on the situation will be held on Tuesday before a final call on sounding the Yellow alert and imposing restrictions as per the GRAP is taken said a senior Delhi government officerAlthough COVID-19 cases are rising in Delhi and positivity rate has breached the 05 per cent mark but hospitalisations are very low and fatality rate is negligible Any decision about implementation of Yellow alert restrictions will be taken after further discussions said the officerSources in the government said that authorities were considering all options available to ensure that the purpose of COVID-19 management and needs of the people in Delhi are best servedThe GRAP approved by Delhi Disaster Management AuthorityDDMA prescribes sounding of the Yellow alert if positivity rate remains above 05 percent for two consecutive daysIt involves restrictions including night curfew closure of schools and colleges alternate day opening of shops of non-essential items and halved seating capacity in metro trains and public transport buses among othersThe DDMA in view of rising COVID-19 cases has already imposed night curfew in Delhi that will remain in force from 11 pm to 5 pm till further ordersOfficials said that although the Yellow alert needs to be sounded if positivity rate stays above 05 per cent for two days but the DDMA can make necessary amendments and modifications with respect to the GRAP according to the situation which is assessed from time to time to meet exigenciesIf the Yellow alert is sounded on Tuesday most activities will come to a grinding halt just a few months after phased reopening from the second wave lockdown which was imposed in AprilThe GRAP was approved by DDMA in its meeting in July in anticipation of a third wave of COVID-19 in Delhi It was meant to have a clearer picture of imposition and lifting of restrictions accordg to the prevailing COVID situationThe Yellow alert restrictions stipulate that shops and establishments of non-essential goods and services and malls will open based on odd-even formula from 10 AM to 8 PMOnly one weekly market per zone with 50 per cent vendors will be allowed to openRestaurants will be permitted with 50 per cent capacity from 8 am to 10 pm while bars can also operate with the same capacity but from 12 noon to 10 pmMarriages and funerals will be allowed attendance of 20 persons while all other types of gathering related to social political cultural religious and festival events will be prohibited the GRAP stipulatesAlso the Delhi Metro will run at 50 per cent of its seating capacity while auto-rickshaws and cabs can ferry up to two passengers Buses too will ply with only 50 per cent exempted category passengersBesides cinema halls banquet halls spas gyms outdoor yoga activity amusement parks stadia swimming pools schools colleges and educational institutions will not be allowed if Yellow alert is soundedPrivate offices can function with up to 50 per cent of the staff In Delhi government offices also barring certain category of officials only half of the remaining staff will be allowed under Yellow alertFurther religious places will open but visitors will not be allowed Parks and gardens can however openThe colour-coded GRAP is based on positivity rate on two consecutive days cumulative number of new cases over a week and average oxygenated-bed occupancy for a week will designate four levels of alertsFurther restrictions are imposed at advanced stages of Amber Orange and Red alerts with higher numbers of new cases and hospitalisations PTI VIT ANB ANB
New Delhi Dec 27 PTI The citys COVID-19 case positivity rate remained above 05 per cent on the second consecutive day on Monday with Delhi government officials assessing the situation before taking a decision on sounding a yellow alert and imposing restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan GRAPDelhi on Monday recorded 331 COVID-19 cases the highest single-day rise since June 9 and one death while the positivity rate mounted to 068 per cent according to data shared by the city health departmentOn Sunday it recorded 290 cases with a positivity rate of 055 per cent and one fatality according to officials figuresFurther discussions on the situation will be held on Tuesday before a final call on sounding the Yellow alert and imposing restrictions as per the GRAP is taken said a senior Delhi government officerAlthough COVID-19 cases are rising in Delhi and positivity rate has breached the 05 per cent mark but hospitalisations are very low and fatality rate is negligible Any decision about implementation of Yellow alert restrictions will be taken after further discussions said the officerSources in the government said that authorities were considering all options available to ensure that the purpose of COVID-19 management and needs of the people in Delhi are best servedThe GRAP approved by Delhi Disaster Management AuthorityDDMA prescribes sounding of the Yellow alert if positivity rate remains above 05 percent for two consecutive daysIt involves restrictions including night curfew closure of schools and colleges alternate day opening of shops of non-essential items and halved seating capacity in metro trains and public transport buses among othersThe DDMA in view of rising COVID-19 cases has already imposed night curfew in Delhi that will remain in force from 11 pm to 5 pm till further ordersOfficials said that although the Yellow alert needs to be sounded if positivity rate stays above 05 per cent for two days but the DDMA can make necessary amendments and modifications with respect to the GRAP according to the situation which is assessed from time to time to meet exigenciesIf the Yellow alert is sounded on Tuesday most activities will come to a grinding halt just a few months after phased reopening from the second wave lockdown which was imposed in AprilThe GRAP was approved by DDMA in its meeting in July in anticipation of a third wave of COVID-19 in Delhi It was meant to have a clearer picture of imposition and lifting of restrictions accordg to the prevailing COVID situationThe Yellow alert restrictions stipulate that shops and establishments of non-essential goods and services and malls will open based on odd-even formula from 10 AM to 8 PMOnly one weekly market per zone with 50 per cent vendors will be allowed to openRestaurants will be permitted with 50 per cent capacity from 8 am to 10 pm while bars can also operate with the same capacity but from 12 noon to 10 pmMarriages and funerals will be allowed attendance of 20 persons while all other types of gathering related to social political cultural religious and festival events will be prohibited the GRAP stipulatesAlso the Delhi Metro will run at 50 per cent of its seating capacity while auto-rickshaws and cabs can ferry up to two passengers Buses too will ply with only 50 per cent exempted category passengersBesides cinema halls banquet halls spas gyms outdoor yoga activity amusement parks stadia swimming pools schools colleges and educational institutions will not be allowed if Yellow alert is soundedPrivate offices can function with up to 50 per cent of the staff In Delhi government offices also barring certain category of officials only half of the remaining staff will be allowed under Yellow alertFurther religious places will open but visitors will not be allowed Parks and gardens can however openThe colour-coded GRAP is based on positivity rate on two consecutive days cumulative number of new cases over a week and average oxygenated-bed occupancy for a week will designate four levels of alertsFurther restrictions are imposed at advanced stages of Amber Orange and Red alerts with higher numbers of new cases and hospitalisations PTI VIT ANB ANB
