Covid-19: LG Anil Baijal orders closure of restaurants, bars for dine-in in Delhi, only takeaway allowed

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal announced on January 10 that bars and restaurants in the National Capital will be shut for dine-in facilities; they will be allowed to only operate their takeaway facilities.

"In view of the increase in positive cases it was decided to close the restaurants and bars and to allow 'take away' facility only. It was also decided to allow operation of only one weekly market per day per zone," he said.

The announcement comes hours after the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) held a meeting to discuss further COVID-19 restrictions that need to be imposed to curb the alarming rise in daily COVID-19 cases.

The DDMA on Monday decided not to impose lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 and discussed further restrictions such as closing dine-in facility in restaurants and scaling down seating capacity in Metro trains and buses, officials said.

In a meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal which was also attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a discussion was also held on ways to strictly enforce existing restrictions to check rising cases of the coronavirus and its Omicron variant.

Currntly, the city buses and Metro trains are permitted to operate with 100 per cent seating capacity.

Kejriwal had on Sunday said the rapid speed at which the coronavirus was spreading in Delhi had been a matter of "deep concern", yet added there was no plan to impose lockdown.

(with agency inputs)