Jain says weekend curfew not lockdown as Delhi logs over 5.5k cases

Nearly 5,500 fresh cases of Covid have been reported in Delhi on Tuesday with a positivity rate of about 8.5 per cent, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said while asserting that the weekend curfew imposed in the city should not be treated as a lockdown.

Interacting with reporters, he said experts have been saying that the spike in Covid cases in Delhi should be considered largely due to the Omicron variant.

On Monday, Delhi had reported 4,099 cases with a positivity rate of 6.46 per cent, and one death was recorded due to Covid, Jain said. Cases have risen, and nearly 5,500 fresh cases with a positivity rate of 8.5 per cent have been reported, which will reflect in Tuesday's bulletin, he told reporters.

Asked about the new restrictions, Jain said weekend curfew was being imposed in view of rising Covid cases, and it should not be considered as a lockdown.

Weekend curfew has been imposed as not much activity happens in that two-day period, and there is no need to be panicked, the minister said.

Also, Covid-induced restrictions are being imposed with due sensitivity about the situation of labourers, Jain said in response to a question.