Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday (July 9) informed that a ‘Graded Response Action Plan’ formulated by the AAP government to deal with the possible third wave of COVID-19 in the national capital has been cleared by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). The ‘Graded Response Action Plan’ was passed in the DDMA meeting today. No doubts will remain about when the lockdown will be imposed or when it will open,” the CM had tweeted in Hindi.
The DDMA gave approval to the ‘Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)’ prepared by the Delhi government to deal with the possible third wave of COVID-19 pandemic that includes shutting down of most of the economic activities at the highest `red` level alert when the positivity rate breaches 5%. The colour codes, also known as alerts — yellow, amber, orange and red — will be based on coronavirus positivity rate on two consecutive days, cumulative figures of fresh infections over a week and the average weekly occupancy rate of oxygen beds for a week.
Here is what the ‘Graded Response Action Plan’ is all about and here are the details of each alert and what you need to know about them:
Yellow
If Delhi’s positivity rate remains more than 0.5% for two consecutive days, or overall new positive cases for seven days reaches the 1,500-mark, or the average occupancy for oxygen beds in hospitals stays at 500 for a week, this alert will be issued. When an yellow alert is issued, shops and markets offering non-essential goods and services will be allowed to open on an odd-even basis within a fixed time period of 10 am to 8 pm. One weekly market, with 50% vendors, will be permitted to operate in each municipal zone. When it comes to construction activities, manufacturing agencies and industrial set-ups, these all can operate.
Amber
When the capital’s positivity rate stays over 1% for two successive days, or 3,500 new positive cases are recorded in a week, or average oxygen bed occupancy remains over 700 over the course of a week, then an amber alert will be issued. Under this condition, market, shops and shopping malls will be allowed to remain open between 10am and 6pm, on odd-even basis. One weekly market can operate per municipal zone with half vendor capacity. Like in yellow alert, construction activities, industrial set-ups and manufacturing agencies can function.
Orange
If Delhi’s Covid-19-positivity rate goes over 2% for two consecutive days, or 9,000 overall cases are reported for more than a week, or the average bed occupancy is more than the 1,000-mark for a week, an orange alert will be issued. In this case, only shops selling essential items and offering essential services will remain open. Rules will be stricter for manufacturing agencies too. Only those pertaining to essential items and defence goods will be permitted to function. Shopping malls and weekly markets will remain closed.Transportation will be restricted, metros to remain shut. “However, the movement of intrastate buses and auto, taxis will be allowed… Buses will ply with 50% seating capacity for transportation of only exempted category people and only two passengers will be allowed in e-rickshaws, autos and cabs,” a government official said.
Red
Of course, as it’s clear from the colour, the red alert will be issued when the situation is at its gravest. When the city’s positivity stays over 5% for two successive days, or its overall new positive cases in a week touches the 16,000-mark, or the average oxygen bed occupancy stays 3,000 or more for a week, a red alert will be issued. Most economic activities under the orange alert, including construction activities with on-site labourers, and industrial set-ups of essential and defence goods and services, will be allowed. Shopping malls and weekly markets will remain closed. Transportation restrictions will be similar to orange alert.
(With Agency inputs)