New Delhi: While announcing the DDMA's nod to the Delhi government's colour-coded Graded Response Action Plan, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said this was a big step to a controlled and reasoned response to the pandemic that is directed by the severity of the spread of the virus. The CM added, "With this plan, there will be a sense of certainty and accountability on our part towards the people of Delhi. The plan descriptively elaborates upon when the lockdown will be imposed and when it will be lifted." He went on to say that this might be a model the Centre should explore using in their national response to the pandemic.
But even with this plan in place, the chief minister stressed that this would work only if aggressive vaccination continued in the meantime.
According to the GRAP, the Delhi government has proposed to classify levels of the pandemic in four colour-coded alerts - Yellow (level 1), Amber (level 2), Orange (level 3) and Red (level 4) — each with its own set of specified curbs. This will, in essence, cut out the need for the executive to spell out restrictions every week — they would need to just sound the correct alert and the relevant restrictions will kick in.
While the DDMA cannot dictate restrictions on international travel to and out of Delhi, the GRAP has provided three categories to monitor patients coming from other states within the country. According to the plan, the three categories of monitoring patients will be as follows: When Delhi is at Level 4 (Red), air travellers from states and UTs with a positivity rate more than 5 per cent. The second is to check all travellers (through any mode) from any state with positivity above 10 per cent. And the third is monitoring anyone coming into the Capital from states or UTs where a mutant strain of the virus had been detected. Significantly, these travellers will be able to avoid a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine only if they can produce certificates of receiving both doses of the vaccine or if they can produce an RT-PCR negative report not older than 72 hours.
As per the Delhi government, the first set of activities to go with the Yellow alert will include Gyms, Yoga centres, cinema halls and multiplexes, Spas, amusement parks, schools, B2B businesses, and other social gatherings. However, as the alerts escalate, the amount of restriction on each restricted activity will increase.
Among activities that are closed through all levels of alert are schools and educational institutes, B2B businesses, all social, religious and political gatherings, entertainment and amusement parks, Gyms, yoga centres, banquet halls, spas and cinema halls.
Inter-state transportation of buses has been allowed throughout at 50 per cent capacity. Along with this, other activities allowed throughout are restricted use of other vehicles for inter-state movement and all shops selling essential items and commodities.