‘No plans of imposing fine’ says Sisodia on mask mandate as Delhi logs 600 Covid cases | 5 points

“We need to learn to live with Covid-19 as it is going to stay longer,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday. Here are 5 things you need to know about the current Covid situation in Delhi.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said the Delhi government has no plan to impose a fine for not wearing face masks to protect against Covid-19. Sisodia's remark came after the national capital logged over 600 cases in the previous 24 hours - the first time it has crossed the 600-case mark since February. "We need to learn to live with Covid-19 as it is going to stay longer. We will take strict actions if cases spike further, but as of now, there is no need to panic," Sisodia said.

Mask mandate has already been reimposed in Haryana, UP NCR districts. (Pratik Chorge/HT PHOTO)

Here are 5 things to know about the Covid situation in Delhi:

1. Over 600 cases in 24 hours in Delhi

The capital on Tuesday added 632 cases of Covid-19 but there were no new deaths or hospitalisations, the health bulletin showed. Tuesday's fresh infections came on the back of 14,299 tests, of which 4.42 per cent samples turned positive.

2. Mask mandate reimposed in Haryana, UP NCR districts

Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have already issued orders asking NCR districts (Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad among others) to make masking mandatory again, with Haryana announcing the return of fines for those violating the rule.

3. DDMA to hold meet today

Delhi's District Disaster Management Authority officials are expected to meet today to review the current coronavirus situation in the capital. Apart from the mask mandate, the authorities may also take a decision on the protocol for Covid-19 outbreaks in schools.

4. Over 99% hospital beds for Covid vacant

Senior officials of the Delhi government’s health department said authorities are keeping a close watch on the case trajectory and are well prepared to handle a surge. “At present, less than 1% of the city’s Covid-19 beds are occupied,” officials added.

5. India logs 2,000+ new cases in 24 hours again

The number of Covid cases nationwide rose above 2,000 for the second time this week. In the last 24 hours, India logged 2,067 fresh infections - 66 per cent higher than the previous day. 40 new Covid-linked deaths were also reported.