Delhi COVID-19 update: Colour coded alerts to be implemented in the capital to tackle third wave

To avoid casualties and surge in COVID-19 cases, the Delhi government has decided to implement a graded action plan in order to deal with the upcoming third wave. The plan is to have guidelines and alerts represented as colours to ease the process of lock and unlock in the city. These alerts are based on the intensity of positivity rate, fresh cases and requirement of oxygen beds. 

Colour codes and what they mean: 

Yellow Alert

- This will be imposed when the capital records a positivity rate of over 0.5 per cent for two consecutive days or records 1500 cases in a week or 500 oxygen beds get occupied in a week

- Shops to remain open between 10 am and 8 pm on an odd-even basis

- Metros and buses to work on 50 per cent capacity

- Night curfew to be imposed between 10 pm and 5 am. 

Amber Alert

- This will be imposed if Delhi records a positivity rate of 1 per cent for two days in a row or reports 3,500 new cases over a week or if the requirement of oxygen beds cross 700. 

- Shops to remain open between 10 am and 6 pm on an odd-even basis

- Weekend curfew to be imposed.

- Metro capacity to be reduced to 33 per cent while buses to run on 50 per cent. 

- Restaurants and bars to remain shut. 

Orange Alert

- Orange alert is to be imposed once the city records fresh cases above 9,000 or records a positivity rate of over 2 per cent for two days in a row or 1,000 oxygen beds are occupied 

- Everything to remain shut other than standalone shops

- Metro rail services to be shut while buses to operate at 50 per cent capacity for essential workers

- Construction work is only allowed if labourers are residing at the site

- Night curfew to continue

Red Alert

- This alert will be imposed when the cases cross 16,000 or Delhi records a positivity rate of 5 per cent within two days and there's a requirement of 3,000 oxygen beds

- Curns imposed under orange alert will continue and the entire city will be under curfew.

Schools, colleges, cinema halls, theatres, auditoriums, salons, spas, gymnasiums and entertainment parks remain shut under any alert. Gathering of no sort will be allowed at any given point.