The Delhi Government has announced a night curfew in the national capital on Thursday and Friday between 11 PM to 6 AM to restrict New Year celebrations. No public gatherings will be allowed during the period. The Center has asked the state to consider a series of restrictions and tone down the New Year celebrations after 20 cases of the new variant of COVID-19 strain have been detected in the country.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority in a statement said, "No New Year "celebratory events, congregations and gatherings at public places shall be permitted from 11 pm of December 31 to 6 am of January 1 and 11 pm of January 1 and 6 am of January 2."

The Home Ministry, in a letter on Monday, had urged the states to ensure strict vigil to check the spread of coronavirus. "The number of Covid 19 active cases is declining steadily in the country for the last three-and-half months. Keeping in view the fresh surge of Covid-19 cases in Europe and Americas, there is still a need for maintaining comprehensive precaution and strict surveillance within our country," a top official has written to the states.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday had said the city is prepared to deal with the new mutant strain of coronavirus. "At one point, 8,500 corona cases were coming to Delhi every day, which was the highest in the world. But the Delhi people controlled the corona," said Kejriwal.

Eight of total 20 mutant virus strain cases have been recorded at a Delhi lab. The national capital has so far logged over 6.24 lakh infections. Across India, the tally has surged to 1.02 crore infections. But there has been a significant drop in the number of infections recorded daily in the last two-three months.