Enforcement Teams For Strict Implementation Of COVID-19 Guidelines In Delhi

With coronavirus cases increasing in the national capital, authorities have formed enforcement teams in each district of Delhi to ensure strict implementation of COVID-19 guidelines.

The move comes days after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that stringent enforcement of COVID-19 guidelines would be ensured and had said everyone should wear a face mask and maintain social distancing at public places.

Each enforcement team will have an executive magistrate, and revenue and police personnel, said an official, adding that awareness teams have also been formed to encourage people to follow anti-coronavirus measures.

An official in the Central Delhi district said that nine dedicated enforcement teams have been constituted in the district with three teams in each sub-division under the supervision of their respective sub-divisional magistrates.

In the district, 2,100 challans were issued on Friday to people for not following anti-COVID-19 measures such as not wearing of masks and not maintaining social distancing norms.

Northwest District Magistrate (DM) Sandeep Mishra said that the administration has constituted nine enforcement teams to ensure strict implementation of COVID-19 guidelines in the district.

Southwest DM Rahul Singh said that 20 enforcement teams have been constituted, while North DM Deepak Shinde said 10 such teams are working in his district.

According to officials of the revenue department, there are eight teams in the West district and 10 in the East district of the national capital.

Earlier this week, the chief minister had said, "Do not be offended if police or any authority fines you for not wearing mask. This is for the safety of all."

"There is confidence among the people but it should not lead to complacency and neglect. We have all brought coronavirus under control with great difficulty, it cannot be allowed to increase," Kejriwal had said.

The Delhi government recently decided that COVID-19 tests would be doubled to 40,000 per day in view of marginal increase of cases.

Kejriwal had said that aggressive testing would remain his government''s strategy to fight the disease.

On Friday, Delhi recorded 1,808 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally in the city to over 1.69 lakh while the death count due to the disease rose to 4,389.

This is the second consecutive day when Delhi recorded over 1,800 new cases in August.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)