Delhi government wants weddings to be restricted to 50 people, hotspot markets to be sealed if norms violated

• The Arvind Kejriwal-led government has proposed plans to limit guests at a wedding to 50 people.
• Kejriwal also announced that certain markets could soon be sealed if norms are violated.
• The decision has been sent to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal for approval.

India’s national capital Delhi is grappling with the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, and to curb the spread of the virus, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government has proposed plans to restrict guests at a wedding to 50 people.

During a press conference, Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the earlier relaxations for wedding guests will now be curbed, bringing down the total number of guests from 200 to 50 people. On November 1, the government had said that in closed spaces, a maximum of 50% of the hall capacity would be allowed, with a ceiling of 200 persons.

The decision has been sent to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor, Anil Baijal, for approval.

Delhi has seen a sudden surge in the number of coronavirus cases taking the total to 4,89,202. In the last 24 hours, Delhi has reported 3,797 new COVID-19 cases, while last week at its peak the city reported over 8,000 cases in a single day.

The spike in the number of daily cases has been attributed to the crowded markets during the festive season as well as the growing air pollution in the city. People thronged the popular markets in Lajpat Nagar, Chandni Chowk, Sarojini Nagar areas, before Diwali for festive shopping.

Keeping the same in mind, Kejriwal also announced that certain markets could soon be sealed if norms are violated. “Since cases are rising in Delhi, we are sending a general proposal to Central Govt, that if required, Delhi Govt can implement shutting down those markets for few days, where norms are not being followed & they are becoming a local COVID-19 hotspot,” the CM said during the press conference.

SEE ALSO:
India's new COVID-19 cases fall below the 30,000-mark for the first time in four months