A yellow alert has been issued in Delhi in view of rising COVID-19 cases, and new restrictions have come into place as of 3pm on Tuesday. The yellow alert and its associated restrictions would take effect “immediately,” the government announced, as it looks to prevent a new wave of infections.

A night curfew will be imposed between 9pm and 5am to stop people from going out unnecessarily.

Private offices in Delhi will operate at 50 percent capacity barring essential services, which include hospitals, media, banks, insurance companies and telecom services.

Schools and colleges have been ordered to shut down.

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Malls will be allowed to operate on an odd-even basis between 10am and 8pm. Standalone shops and markets, however, do not have to follow this rule.

Cinemas, multiplexes, and gyms will be shutdown under the new guidelines, as will spas and wellness centres. However, barber shops, salons, and parlours will be allowed to operate.

Restaurants and bars will be allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity, but will have close shop by 10pm.

Weddings will be allowed but with a maximum of 20 people, and will have to take place either at home or in court. This limit also applies to funerals.

Political rallies, religious gatherings, and festive gatherings have all been prohibited. Religious places, meanwhile, will be allowed to stay open but cannot admit visitors.

Public parks too will remain open but gatherings such as picnics will not be allowed to take place in them.

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The restrictions were put in place under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) after Delhi witnessed 331 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, its highest in six months. Meanwhile, the number of omicron cases are also growing: the new variant accounts for 25 to 30 percent of new cases in Delhi now, up from two to three percent two weeks earlier.