COVID19: Food outlets operating, social distancing rules severely flouted in Delhi's Okhla

Serious violations of social distancing norms and other guidelines issued by the Central and the state government were witnessed in the Okhla Mandi in the national capital. Okhla mandi is one of the largest wholesale markets in Delhi. This market caters to a huge chunk of vegetable and fruit needs of the national capital. Scores of wholesale vendors and shopkeepers purchase their stock from here.

As Republic TV reached the spot, it was witnessed that very few were following the rules set by the government during the ongoing COVID19 scare. Many were seen without masks, meanwhile several were found sitting in clusters in very close proximities. Another disturbing fact that came to light was that a food outlet was found functional in the vicinity. Several were seen eating at the spot.

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Govt mandates social distancing

The Ministry of Home Affairs and the state government in their guidelines have strictly prohibited all restaurants and food outlets (big or small) from operating. With no certain vaccine or cure being developed for the novel Coronavirus, social distancing, wearing masks, washing and sanitizing hands has been advised by the government to combat the spread of the novel virus.

Nearly 75% coronavirus patients in Delhi are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday as he reminded that the city has to "learn to live with COVID-19".

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COVID-19 hotspot

Of 6,923 total coronavirus COVID-19, positive cases reported so far in Delhi, 2,069 patients have recovered. The numbers have doubled in the past 11 days. The death toll in the national capital stands at 73. Eighty-two per cent of those who died in Delhi were above 50 years of age.

The national capital has recorded the third-highest number of coronavirus cases in India. All districts of the national capital are under the red zone. The union territory has 83 containment zones, with 11 of them having a population of over one lakh.

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The nationwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases has neared the 63,000-mark including 2,109 deaths and 19,358 recoveries. Of the 62,939 cases, 41,427 are active. On the global front, the number of coronavirus cases approached 4 million with over 2,75,160 deaths. The US has recorded the most fatalities at 77,180, followed by the United Kingdom (31,316) and Italy (30,201).

(PTI Photo for representation)

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