Coronavirus: Delhi Metro Services To Remain Suspended On Sunday In View Of 'Janata Curfew'

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) services will be closed on Sunday in view of the ‘Janata curfew’ to be observed on March 22, officials said. The total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital on Thursday rose to 16, according to the Delhi Health Department. “The move is aimed at encouraging public to stay indoors and maintain social distancing, which is essential in the fight against COVID-19,” it said.

Calling for “resolve and restraint” to fight coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked the entire country to observe ‘Janta curfew’ on Sunday.

In a nearly 30-minute national broadcast, he asked people to stay indoors and work from home as much as possible while underscoring the dangers of coronavirus, saying the world has never seen a crisis as grave as this.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has issued an advisory asking passengers to use the Metro for essential travel only. “Please travel by the Metro only when it is essential and unavoidable,” the DMRC said on Thursday. The DMRC also asked passengers to follow all the advisory issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

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“In course of the journey and stay within the Metro premises, passengers are requested to follow the advisory issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India from time to time to contain the spread of Corona Virus,” the advisory reads.

It also requested passengers to maintain at least 1-metre distance from each other while travelling in the Metro or at the station, i.e. ‘STANDING PASSENGERS NOT ALLOWED and ALTERNATE SEATS BE LEFT VACANT.’

Random thermal scanning of passengers will also be carried out at all metro stations. “In case anyone has fever or is observed to have any symptom of Corona Virus, he/she will be referred for medical tests and quarantine to the authorities,” the DMRC said and added that trains may not stop at such stations which may be having crowding i.e. less than the expected distance of 1-metre between the passengers.