NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said the Delhi government has decided to impose a weekend curfew in the capital in view of a surge in Covid cases driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. The weekend curfew timings will be from Friday 10 pm to Monday 5 am.

He said government employees, barring those engaged in essential services, will be asked to work from home, while private offices will remain open with 50 percent capacity.

"There will be a curfew on Saturdays and Sundays. People are requested to step out only when it is absolutely necessary," he said in a virtual press conference after a meeting of the Disaster Management Authority.

The government feared that bus stops and metro stations could become super spreaders as the seating capacity had been halved and long queues were seen at such places.

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On December 28, the DDMA declared a 'yellow alert' after the positivity rate crossed the 0.5 percent mark, and closed down cinemas and gyms.

It had directed shops of non-essential items to open on an odd-even basis and reduced the seating capacity in metro trains and buses to 50 percent.

According to the DDMA-approved Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a positivity rate of more than five percent for two consecutive days is one of the criteria to declare a 'red alert' which means a 'total curfew' and halting of most economic activities in the capital.

Delhi on Monday reported 4,099 fresh COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate spiraled to 6.46 percent, with the Omicron variant of coronavirus behind the surge in infections in the city

More restrictions will be implemented if the bed occupancy rate goes up, officials said.

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Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Press Meet Announcing Weekend Curfew In Delhi