Cases dip in Delhi, but weekend curfew to continue

Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal government on Friday recommended the lifting of weekend curfews in the national capital in view of declining COVID-19 cases. Delhi reported 10,756 new cases of the disease during the last 24 hours, said the state government on Friday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sent a recommendation to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to end the weekend curfew. In the proposal, the CM also sought the removal of the odd-even system in the markets and to allow private offices to operate at 50% capacity, the sources added. However, sources say that Baijal rejected the government’s proposal to lift the weekend curfew and ease COVID-19 restrictions. According to the sources, Baijal agreed to a 50% attendance in private offices but said that the status quo be maintained with regards to weekend curfew and opening of markets. A decision will be taken on the subject once the COVID situation improves further, the sources said.

Later on Friday, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority allowed all private offices in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, outside of containment zones, to function with up to 50% attendance with immediate effect. The DDMA has, however, advised private offices to stagger office timing, presence and quantum of staff. “They’re further advised to follow work from home, as far as possible,” it said in its order. Notably, the DDMA clarified that the night curfew and weekend lockdown will continue to in the national capital. “It is also clarified that Night Curfew from 10 PM to 5 AM every day and Weekend Curfew from 10 PM of Friday till 5 AM of subsequent Monday, on the movement of individuals in NCT of Delhi shall also remain in force till further order,” said the DDMA in its order.

COWIN

In a recent update on the CoWIN portal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that up to six members can now register using a single mobile number. The Ministry, in a press release said, “Instead of the existing limit of 4 members, now 6 members can be registered using one mobile number on Co-WIN.”

As per the update, a new utility feature has been introduced to raise an issue in Co-WIN account through which a beneficiary can revoke its current vaccination status from fully vaccinated to partially vaccinated or unvaccinated status and also partially vaccinated to unvaccinated status.

“The vaccination status can be corrected by the beneficiaries, where in occasional isolated cases, the vaccination certificates are generated due to inadvertent data entry errors by the vaccinator in the updation of vaccination data of beneficiaries,” the release said.

The Ministry also said that the changes may take three to seven days after submitting the online request through raising an issue utility.

“Such beneficiaries can get their due vaccine dose, maybe at nearest vaccination centre, as per the existent standard guidelines once new vaccination status is successfully updated in the system,” the Ministry appraised.