Delhi schools reopen on Monday as COVID-19 cases dip
The government of Delhi on Friday decided to reopen schools, colleges, and coaching institutions across the capital city. It also eased several other restrictions after a key meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) earlier in the day. The decision comes as Delhi sees an improvement in its COVID-19 situation in recent days.
Why does this story matter?
The relaxations come as there has been a drop in COVID-19 cases and positivity rate in Delhi. On Thursday, the national capital saw 2,668 new coronavirus cases while the positivity rate fell to 4.3%. The number of active cases stood at 13,630. Earlier, the Delhi government had ordered the removal of weekend curfew and odd-even restriction on shops.
Night curfew duration cut by one hour
According to the DDMA order, schools will be reopened in a phased manner. Offline classes for 9th-12th standard are set to restart from Monday (February 7). However, teachers who have not been vaccinated against the coronavirus will not be permitted to join work, ANI reported. Further, the duration of night curfew has been reduced by one hour. The new timing is 11 pm-5 am.
100% physical attendance in offices
Besides the aforementioned relaxations, gyms, swimming pools, and spas have been allowed to reopen from next week. Further, offices in Delhi can now operate with 100% physical attendance. DDMA also said that people driving alone in their cars will no longer be needed to wear a mask. The Delhi High Court had recently termed the mandate "absurd," asking why it was still in force.
COVID-19 situation across India
Delhi's COVID-19 cases in the latest wave have been on the decline since touching a high of nearly 29,000 infections in mid-January. Across India, nearly 1.49 lakh new cases were added on Friday morning, marking a fall of 13% from Thursday's case count. Meanwhile, the positivity rate slipped to 9.2%. The country's cumulative death toll from COVID-19 has crossed 5,00,000.
