Delhi Shuts Restaurants, Bans Gatherings Of Over 20 Over Coronavirus

The Delhi government on Thursday ordered the shutting of all restaurants in the national capital till March 31 amid the coronavirus outbreak but said that takeaway and home delivery services will continue.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said non-essential government services will be discontinued from Friday but essential public services will remain open in the national capital.

Mr Kejriwal said a detailed list of government departments which are providing non-essential services will be released on Friday.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Lt Governor Anil Baijal and attended by Mr Kejriwal and senior officers of the Delhi government, a statement from the LG office said.

Mandatory thermal screening at public places likes malls, courts, offices, hotels, hospitals and residential complexes was ordered during the meeting, it said.

Efforts should also be made for thermal scanning of everyone at public spaces, it added.

Mr Kejriwal said the government has also banned social, cultural, political gathering of more than 20 people. Earlier, gathering of more than 50 people was prohibited in Delhi to contain the spread of coronavirus.

"We have succeeded in keeping coronavirus at the containment stage and it is not at community level," the chief minister said.

The chief minister also asked those directed to undergo quarantine must follow rules or strict actions may be taken against them.

"Dine-in arrangements in all restaurants shall remain closed in Delhi till March 31. However, restaurants can continue home-deliveries and takeaways," Mr Kejriwal said.

A government official said dine-in service at restaurants in five-star hotels too has been banned but guests can order meals in their rooms.

All the educational institutions have also been directed to remain shut till March 31 for both teaching and non-teaching staff, he said.

The Delhi government is taking all relevant measures to contain the spread of coronavirus.

"We have had 10 cases in Delhi until now with the demise of one of the patients. Two patients have recovered and 1 patient has left for Singapore. We currently have 6 COVID-19 patients and most of them are recovering now," he said.

The government has also started stamping all those who have been advised to self-quarantine, Mr Kejriwal said, adding that strict action will be taken against those who violate self-quarantine rules.

FIR for violation of conditions by those put in home quarantine under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as prescribed under Regulation 18 of the Delhi Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020 was issued by health and family department.

"We have a capacity of 768 beds to be installed in the quarantine facilities until now, with only 57 beds that are currently occupied. We have 550 isolation beds in the Delhi government hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 patients out of which 40 beds have been occupied with suspected coronavirus cases," Mr Kejriwal said.

There are 95 beds available in the central government hospitals out of which 67 beds have been occupied by suspected COVID-19 patients, he said.

"We are also mapping the requirements of all the government and private hospitals in Delhi and will issue directions that all the machinery and ventilator facilities in these hospitals should be in working conditions," the chief minister said.

The government is disinfecting buses, ISBTs, and metros daily.

"We will also deploy more manpower at these bus depots if required. There has also been a huge decline in the arrival of buses, especially from Jammu and Kashmir, and Nepal," said Mr Kejriwal.

According to the LG office, there will be fine on spitting in public places and the rule wil be enforced strictly.