Delhi: Covid cases continue to dip, markets want timings to be revised

As the omicron variant swept across the city, cases rose quickly to touch an all-time peak of 28,867 on January 13. The positivity rate climbed to 30.6%, the highest for the third wave. Hospitalisations, however, did not exceed 25% of the almost 16,000 total bed capacity on a single day.

The reduction in cases was also as fast as the increase, and cases dropped to below 10,000 within 10 days of the surge.

With the decrease, market associations have made appeals to extend timings for markets and shops to open till 10 pm, instead of the 8 pm restriction at present.

The New Delhi Traders Association wrote to L-G Anil Baijal, who also heads the Delhi Disaster Management Association (DDMA), highlighting the problems they are facing.

President of the association Atul Bhargava said that since the timing applicable to restaurants — 8 am to 11 pm — has been extended, the same metric should also apply to shops.

In addition to the restrictions on markets and shops, night curfew also remains in force between 11 pm and 5 am in the capital. Officials said DDMA was expected to meet later this week to decide which restrictions would continue and which would be lifted.

Meanwhile, all school students will be allowed to return to school from Monday. Children in junior classes have been away from classrooms for the longest in the city.