Arvind Kejriwal said Delhi is likely to report about 22,000 new cases today.
There will be no lockdown in Delhi, where the positivity rate is at a seven-month high of 25 per cent, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today.
"Don't worry, we will not impose a lockdown," the Delhi Chief Minister told news agency ANI on the surge in cases in the capital. Delhi is likely to report about 22,000 new cases today.
"We are expecting somewhere around 20,000-22,000 new COVID-19 cases in Delhi. The positivity rate has been around 24-25 per cent for the past two days. We are enforcing strict restrictions like night curfew in Delhi out of compulsion," Mr Kejriwal said after visiting a top hospital to assess Covid treatment facilities.
He remarked that most cases in the third wave were showing mild symptoms compared to the deadly second wave last year driven by the Delta variant. "Omicron is milder but highly contagious," Mr Kejriwal added.
All private offices in Delhi have been ordered to shut down and send their employees into Work-From Home. Only those providing essential services will be exceptions to the new rule, it was decided in a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Agency (DDMA). Restaurants and bars have also been shut and only takeaways and home deliveries are allowed.
"At the DDMA meet we requested central government officials to cover the entire NCR (National Capital Region) for restrictions. They assured us on the same," Mr Kejriwal said.
Cases in the city may peak in the next 48 hours or "definitely this week", according to Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, commenting on the possibility of another weekend curfew.
"The peak has already arrived, or will come in a day or two. It (peak) will happen this week definitely. Cases should start falling after that. But it's possible we may enforce another curfew just to remind people not to lower their guard," Mr Jain told NDTV on Monday.
The exceptions to the Work From Home order are private banks, offices providing essential services, insurance companies, pharma companies, microfinance companies, lawyers' offices and courier services.