Delhi Gym Association has written a letter to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding Graded Response Action Plan for COVID-19 wherein the gymnasiums are asked to be closed in the yellow zone with 0.5 per cent positivity rate.
Chirag Sethi, Vice President, Delhi Gym Association said, "We all know that Omicron is a mild virus and no impact of the variant is seen on people. When such news comes into the public, then members get scared as they think that their money will go in vain if they invest in gyms. There is an atmosphere of panic for members as well as gym owners thinking that a lockdown will be imposed soon".
"That is why, we request the government that the way they are allowing restaurants, bars, they must allow gyms also with 50 per cent capacity. Why shut down gyms? We know that there is no evidence saying that opening up gyms will spread COVID-19 or gyms do not adhere to SoPs," Sethi added.
Delhi Gym Association requested the government to reconsider the decision. "It shouldn't be just based on the positivity rate. They must consider several cases and oxygen beds capacity too. As Maharashtra did, that if the demand for oxygen beds reaches a certain number, then lockdown should be imposed," the association said.
The night curfew order was issued on a day when Delhi on Sunday reported 290 fresh COVID-19 cases. The positivity rate had jumped to 0.55 per cent in the national capital.
As per Delhi's Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, a 'yellow' alert will be sounded in the national capital if the positivity rate remains 0.5 per cent or more on two successive days, new cases touch 1,500--mark or oxygenated bed occupancy reaches 500.
As soon as the yellow alert is sounded, several restrictions will come into force in Delhi including night curfew, closure of schools and colleges, reduction of seating capacity in Metro trains and buses to half, and restrictions on the opening of non-essential shops and malls.
( With inputs from ANI )
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