DDMA bans Christmas, New Year gatherings in Delhi; asks district magistrates to identify superspreader areas

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, December 22

Delhi Disaster Management Authority ordered district magistrates in Delhi to ensure no Christmas and New Year gathering takes place in the national capital--- a development that comes as the national capital began to see a surge in Covid-19 cases just ahead of Christmas and New Year.

The DDMA banned social, political, religious, and cultural gatherings across the National Capital Territory, re-imposed seating limits on restaurants and bars, and ordered district magistrates to identify potential Covid-19 super-spreader areas in Delhi. The development comes as the country sees a worrying number of cases with the Omicron strain.

Wedding gatherings cannot have more than 200 people. Mask mandates have to be strictly imposed and social distancing protocol must be strictly adhered to, the order said.

All workplaces and shops must institute a policy of ‘No masks, no entry’— which is, forbidding those to enter a place without masks.

"All district magistrates shall conduct an intensive survey of the entire area falling under their jurisdiction and identify those pockets, colonies markets and crowded places which have the potential of becoming superspreaders of coronavirus and its Omicron variant," the DDMA said in the order.

The order asks all DMs and DCPs to deploy a sufficient number of enforcement teams on the field.

What the new order says: 

—All social/ political/ sports/entertainment / cultural/religious festival-related gatherings and congregations are prohibited throughout NCT of Delhi

—Restaurants and Bars allowed up to 50% of seating capacity.

—Auditoriums / Assembly halls allowed up to 50% of the seating capacity.

 —Marriage relating gatherings permitted with an upper limit of 200 people.

— Sports activities in stadia/sports complex are permitted only without spectators.

—Authorised weekly markets are allowed subject to strict compliance of protocol/ SOP/ instructions/ guidelines

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