From Monday, all COVID-related restrictions will be lifted from the city, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) announced here on Friday.
Chaired by Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal and attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Cabinet colleagues and experts, the DDMA also decided to reduce fines for non-adherence to COVID appropriate behaviour, from ₹2,000 to ₹500.
According to sources, schools will continue to function in hybrid mode for the time being. They will return to physical classes from April 1 if the positivity rate continues to plummet. Sources claimed that during the meeting, Mr. Kejriwal observed that while it was important to ensure that citizens did not fall sick, their livelihoods too needed to be protected.
“After detailed discussions with experts, in view of the decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisation, it was decided to remove all COVID-related restrictions in Delhi from February 28,” Mr. Baijal tweeted
No gatherings
According to sources, while the decision to reduce the quantum of fines for non-adherence to CAB was taken, it was also decided to keep the possibility of increasing it, if need be. The L-G also stressed on ensuring that there was strict observance and enforcement of CAB and that there were no large gatherings in the city.
“While appreciating the efforts made by all stakeholders in management of COVID-19, [it is] reiterated that all agencies should continue to remain vigilant without lowering the guard,” Mr. Baijal also tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Health Department submitted its analysis of COVID cases and deaths between December and February to the DDMA. Results of the genome sequencing of samples collected from patients infected by the virus, meanwhile, posited that while the Omicron variant I was still the prevalent one, the Delta variant was still around, Over 4.17 lakh citizens got infected between December and February 24 resulting in 1,017 deaths, according to the Health Department.
The maximum number of infections, that is 1,33,687 or 32% among them, were found to be in the 16-30 age group while the least number of infections, that is 8,687 or 2.08%, was recorded in the 76+ age group. When it came to deaths, however, 331 or 32.55%, were recorded among the 61-75 age group while the least number of deaths, that is 49 or 4.82% each were recorded among those falling in the 1-15 and 16 -30 age groups.
The Omicron variant was found in 576 of the 626 samples analysed by city labs while the Delta variant and its sub-lineages was still discovered in 11 cases. Out of the 239 samples from patients who succumbed to it between December and February 22, the Omicron variant was found in 191 and the Delta variant and its sub-lineages in 48 cases.