The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the national capital on Sunday further relaxed the lockdown in Delhi, allowing stadiums and sports complexes to reopen from July 5 without spectators.
However, the Kejriwal government said that cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, auditoriums, swimming pools, spas and amusement parks will continue to stay closed. All schools, colleges and educational institutions will also remain closed, it noted.
The order issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) further said that all kinds of social and political gatherings would continue to remain prohibited in the national capital. The restrictions on metro services will also continue despite the huge rush and long queues that were seen outside several stations over the past few days.
A complete lockdown was imposed in Delhi in April this year to control the unprecedented spike in daily COVID-19 cases after India got hit by the second wave of the pandemic. However, the lockdown is being lifted in a “phased manner” from June after a consistent decline in daily COVID-19 cases and positivity rate of the national capital.
Kejriwal has also urged people across the national capital to take all necessary precautions, including the useage of masks and sanitisers and following social distancing, to avoid a possible third wave of the pandemic.
“The virus is reducing in Delhi slowly and steadily, and I hope it diminishes completely and does not rise again. However, we are not going to become negligent in any way,” he had said earlier.
Meanwhile, Delhi on Saturday reported 86 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths that pushed its caseload and toll to 14.34 lakh and 24,988 respectively, said the state health department. It also said that Delhi currently has just 1,016 active COVID-19 cases while over 14.08 lakh patients have recovered from the infections.
The number of people under home isolation decreased to 305 from 313 on Friday, while the number of containment zones dropped to 738 from 1,288 a day before, it added.
