The Delhi government on Saturday, 27 March, issued fresh orders on gatherings in closed spaces and celebrations amid the recent spate of COVID-19 cases in the national capital.
The order comes as the state braces for festivals of Holi, Navratri and Shab-e-Barat.
According to the order by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the number of guests at weddings and other events at open-air venues have been reduced to 200, while allowing a maximum of 100 people for closed space gatherings.
“In closed spaces, a maximum of 50 percent of the hall capacity will be allowed, with a ceiling of 100 people, and in open spaces numbers will be allowed keeping the size of the ground/space in view, with a ceiling of 200 people subject to strict observance of wearing of face masks, maintaining social distancing, provision for thermal scanning and use of hand wash or sanitiser,” the order stated.
In an earlier order, on 23 March, gatherings at public places and religious sites in the Capital were banned for the upcoming festivals of Holi, Navaratri and Shab-e-Barat.
“It is anticipated that gatherings, congregations and public celebrations during upcoming festivals like Holi, Shab-e-Barat, Navratri, etc. may pose a considerable threat of the spread of the virus and may cause a setback to the appreciable gains made in the suppression of chain of transmission of COVID-19 cases in Delhi. Considering this, it has been decided that public celebrations and all gatherings/congregations during upcoming festivals should not be allowed in public places,” the order signed by chief secretary Vijay Dev said.
A maximum of 50 people are allowed in funeral/last rites related gatherings/congregations. The people will have to observe strict COVID-appropriate behaviour-wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing, and use of hand wash or sanitizer.
Meanwhile, Delhi reported 1,558 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the total number of cases to 6,55,834 in the national capital, as per the health ministry.
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