Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said work from home for government offices will be enforced. Most offices would also have to make half their employees work from home.
The new curbs were decided by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) as the positivity rate in the city stayed above five per cent for two consecutive days – a level that triggers a red alert under the colour-coded Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
"DDMA has decided to impose a curfew in Delhi on Saturdays and Sundays to curb COVID surge. All government officials except for those engaged in essential services will work from home. 50% workforce of private offices will work from home," Sisodia told reporters.
"Buses and metro will function at 100 per cent but not without a mask. There is nothing to worry about. Make masks your shield, he added. Earlier, both services were ordered to operate at half their capacity but that led to chaotic long queues and crowds.
The positivity rate has reportedly risen in Delhi in the past few days. On Monday, 4,099 new cases and one death were reported in 24 hours. Today, cases went up to 5,481, the highest in more than seven months.
The positivity rate in Delhi has risen to 8.3 per cent from 6.46 per cent.
Moreover, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced earlier today that he had tested positive for COVID-19 but had mild symptoms.