'Parties were being held': Delhi health minister on why night curfew was imposed

The ban will be in place each night from 10pm to 5am till April 30, with only essential services or people travelling to and from vaccination centres allowed on the streets.

Delhi's health minister Satyendra Jain said on Wednesday that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government decided to impose a night curfew in the national capital following reports that parties and social gatherings were being organised at a time when Covid-19 cases have surged.

Delhi Police personnel checking commuters for valid documents after the city-state government imposed night curfew due to rising Covid-19 cases, at Aurobindo Marg on Tuesday. (Amal KS/HT Photo)

"We took the decision to impose a night curfew in the city, as reports were coming about parties and gatherings being held in various parts of the city. Given the situation right now, one person can spread to everyone else in a gathering and to more people, so we took the step," Jain said while interacting with reporters.

Also Watch: Night curfew imposed in Delhi till April 30 | All you need to know

It is not a harsh step and there are various categories of exemption, he added.

Asked about the efficacy of night curfew in curbing cases, he said, "Let's wait and watch".

The Delhi government on Tuesday imposed an immediate night curfew after a spike in number of Covid-19 cases. On Tuesday, Delhi recorded 5,100 fresh cases of the coronavirus disease, the highest since November 27 last year when the city reported 5,482 cases in a day.

The AAP government said that "sudden increase in Covid-19 cases" and "high positivity rate" meant a night curfew was needed.

The ban will be in place each night from 10pm to 5am till April 30, with only essential services or people travelling to and from vaccination centres allowed on the streets.

In Pics: Delhi Police strictly enforces night curfew

Dr VK Paul, a member of NITI Aayog, said on Tuesday during a health briefing that the next four weeks would be very critical for the country.

India, which has the world's third-highest number of infections after the United States and Brazil, has reported almost 12.7 million cases and more than 1,65,000 deaths.

Single-day infections have been rising since early February, when they fell to below 9,000. On Wednesday, it reached another grim milestone when the daily caseload crossed 1.15 lakh-mark.