Since the emergence of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, in India last month, the country has so far logged 1,270 cases of the new variant, which is said to be three times more infectious than the Delta variant, which led to the devastating second wave of coronavirus in the country. With each day passing by, the new Omicron cases are rising with India reporting 309 infections during the last 24 hours.
Of the 23 states and Union territories that have recorded Omicron cases so far, Maharashtra has registered the highest number of 450, followed by Delhi (320), Kerala (109) and Gujarat (97). The new COVID-19 cases in the country, which have been on a declining trend for the past two months, also witnessed a sharp rise recently with the country’s single-day tally reaching over 16,000 on Friday after 64 days. The active COVID caseload also rose to 91,361 after an increase of 8,959 cases in the last 24 hours.
The sudden spike in new COVID cases and the threatening spread of the Omicron variant have also dulled the hopes for pandemic-free 2022. The upward trend in new COVID cases has also prompted several states including Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka among others to reimpose several restrictions disrupting the plans for the New Year bash. Curbs including night curfews, a ban on large gatherings, New Year parties and a cap on attendance in hotels, bars have been imposed by these states in order to contain the further spread.
Check state-wise restrictions here:
Maharashtra:
The Maharashtra government had earlier last week imposed a night curfew in the state from 9 pm to 6 am in order to curb the spread. The state government also mandate that restaurants, spas, gyms, theatres and auditoriums have to function at 50 per cent capacity. It also capped the attendance at gatherings in open or closed spaces at 50. In Mumbai, the authorities extended Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting people from visiting beaches, open grounds, sea faces, promenades, gardens, parks or similar public places between 5 pm and 5 am daily till January 15.
Delhi:
The Delhi government had on December 28 issued a Yellow Alert in the national capital and imposed some restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The yellow alert entails restrictions like night curfew from 10 pm till 5 am, closure of schools and colleges, the opening of non-essential shops based on an odd-even basis, halved seating capacity in Metro trains and buses among others. The seating capacity in bars and restaurants has been limited to 50 per cent. All political, social, cultural, religious, and other gatherings are banned in the capital. Meanwhile, the DDMA has said that “no mask, no entry” should be strictly ensured at shops/workplaces across the national capital.
Uttar Pradesh:
In Uttar Pradesh, a night curfew has been imposed from December 25. The curfew will begin at 11 pm and continue till 5 am across the state. In Gautam Buddh Nagar and Lucknow districts, the state government has imposed Section 144 CrPC, prohibiting the gathering of five or more people in public places.
Haryana:
Haryana has also imposed a night curfew that will begin from 11 pm and continue till 5 am. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has also announced that unvaccinated people will not be allowed to enter public places from January 1 in the state.
Gujarat:
The Gujarat government has extended the night curfew timings in eight cities – Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Gandhinagar – by two hours. The curfew will now begin at 11 pm and continue till 5 am.
Karnataka:
The Karnataka government on Sunday imposed a 10-day night curfew across the state starting from December 28. The night curfew will begin at 10 pm and continue till 5 am. The state government has decided to ban all New Year gatherings and celebrations in Karnataka. All restaurants, hotels, pubs and eateries in Karnataka can only operate at 50 per cent seating capacity. There will be no functions, parties on the external premises, especially for those celebrating with DJs and large gatherings.
West Bengal:
The West Bengal government had extended its covid restrictions till January 15. However, the prevailing night curfew hours from 11 pm to 5 am remain unchanged. Essential services will be exempted from the curfew.
