Restaurants, bars in Delhi to operate at 50% capacity: DDMA

New Delhi, June 20: With the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to decline in the national capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Sunday announced that restaurants and bars in the city will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent seating capacity from Monday onwards.

The DDMA has also officially allowed the reopening of public parks, gardens in the next phase of unlocking the city.

In a public notice issued on Sunday, DDMA directed District Magistrates, Delhi Police and other government agencies to ensure that Covid appropriate behaviour, which includes wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing, sanitization at public places, business places, markets, are regularly monitored.

"Concerned authorities will be responsible for ensuring Covid appropriate behaviour in markets, restaurants and bars, public parks and gardens and residents within their respective areas. It should be ensured that people who visit these places strictly follow Covid rules and are wearing marks and maintaining social distancing without fail," said the notice issued by Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev.

It further stated that market trade associations, Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs) will also be responsible to ensure that Covid guidelines are being followed in markets, malls, public parks and gardens, residential colonies etc.

"The Covid-19 situation in the National Capital Territory (NCT) has again been reviewed and it has been observed that the number of Covid-19 patients and the daily positivity rate has declined considerably and the overall situation has improved. But caution and care has to be maintained for consolidating the whole process of Covid-19 management," the notification further stated.

Delhi has continued the phase-wise unlocking for the last four consecutive weeks after having witnessed over one and half month of strict lockdown due to the unprecedented surge in Covid cases during April-May.

Delhi on Saturday reported 135 new Covid cases and seven deaths, while the daily positivity rate was at 0.18 per cent.