Delhi's Private Offices Ordered To Close, Work From Home Only

All private offices in Delhi will send employees into Work-From-Home in new Covid rules to tackle the surge in cases. Only offices considered essential services will be exempted.

Till now, offices had been asked to function with half their employees in office and the rest at home. Government offices in the city are working with 50 percent attendance

Those exempted from the new rule include private banks, offices providing essential services, insurance companies, pharma companies, microfinance companies, lawyers' offices and courier services.

The decision was taken by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

Yesterday, Delhi shut restaurants and bars and said only takeaways and home delivery would be allowed.

Delhi reported over 19,000 new cases yesterday, marginally lower than Sunday's 22,751. The positivity rate stood at 25 per cent yesterday, the highest since May 5. The city also reported 17 deaths.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said cases in the city are likely to peak "in one or two days, definitely this week", and infections in the Third Wave will start dipping after that.

"The peak has already arrived, or will come in a day or two. It (peak) will happen this week definitely. Cases should start falling after that. But it's possible we may enforce another curfew, just to remind people not to lower their guard," Mr Jain told NDTV on Monday.

Across India, 1,68,063 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the last 24 hours. Cases are down by 11,660 and the positivity rate has dipped from 13 per cent to around 10 per cent.