3rd Wave In Mind, Delhi Readies Graded Action Plan For Covid

With the fear of a third wave of Covid infections looming over the easing of curbs, the Delhi government has readied a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to tackle a spike in cases in the coming weeks.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority approved the action plan at a meeting on Friday.

The plan lays down guidelines for graded action in case of a surge in infections.

As per the plan, a yellow alert will be issued if the capital records a positivity rate of over 0.5 per cent for two consecutive days or 1,500 new cases are reported in a week or 500 oxygen beds are occupied in a week.

Under the yellow alert, which is Level 1 of severity, shops would be allowed to operate between 10 am and 8 pm on an odd-even basis. Malls too would be allowed to stay open during these hours.

Metro services will be allowed at 50 per cent passenger capacity. Buses can function at 50 per cent capacity for passengers who have permission to travel. A night curfew would be in force between 10 pm and 5 am.

Under the yellow alert, restaurants would be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity from 8 am to 10 pm. Bars can stay open between noon and 10 pm, also at 50 per cent capacity.

While hotels can stay open, cinema halls, multiplexes, banquet halls, gymnasiums and entertainment parks will be shut. Salons will be allowed to operate.

If the situation reaches Level 2 of severity, an amber alert will be issued. This will be done if Delhi records a positivity rate of over 1 per cent for two consecutive days or reports 3,500 new cases over a week or 700 oxygen beds are occupied within a week.

As per the guideline for amber alert, shops will be allowed to open between 10 am and 6 pm on an odd-even basis. Malls too can open during this time. Metro services will be allowed at 33 per cent passenger capacity. Buses can operate at 50 per cent capacity only for groups of passengers who have permission to travel.

The 10 pm-5 am night curfew would continue and a weekend curfew would also be imposed. Restaurants, bars, salons, cinema halls, gymnasiums, banquet halls and entertainment parks would be shut. Hotels will be allowed to operate.

An orange alert will be issued at Level 3 of severity when the city reports a positivity rate of over 2 per cent for two days in a row or 9,000 new cases are recorded in a week or 1,00 oxygen beds are occupied in a week.

Under the orange alert, all shops other than standalone shops would remain shut. So will malls and weekly markets. Metro services will be stopped but buses will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity for passengers with permission to travel.

Construction activities will be allowed only if labourers stay at the site. Only industries manufacturing essential items will be allowed to operate. Night curfew and weekend curfew will continue.

The most stringent curbs will come into force when a red alert is issued at Level 4 of severity. This will be done if the city reports a positivity rate of over 5 per cent for two consecutive days or records 16,000 cases over a week or 3,000 oxygen beds are occupied in a week.

Under the red alert, all the curbs under the orange alert will continue and the city will be placed under a complete curfew.

As per the action plan, schools, colleges and other educational institutions will remain shut under every alert. Religious places will be allowed to open but devotees would not be permitted to visit them.

Wedding ceremonies and funerals will be allowed under every alert but the number of people attending them will be capped.