The Delhi Metro urged commuters to follow “protocols and politely counsel others to do the same.”
New Delhi:
Amid the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, 29 Delhi Metro passengers were penalised for not wearing face masks properly and violating social distancing norms.
“To ensure our travel guidelines are being followed, Delhi Metro’s Flying Squads penalised 29 commuters on 29 March 2021 for not wearing a face mask properly & following social distancing,” the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted, urging commuters to follow “protocols and politely counsel others to do the same.”
The national capital reported 1,904 COVID-19 cases on Monday, its sharpest daily rise since mid-December. Delhi now has over 8,000 active Covid cases – the most since December 22. The capital also saw six more deaths on Monday.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday ruled out the possibility of a lockdown, saying the increase in cases was the result of people not following Covid-appropriate behaviour.
Last week, the Delhi Metro had penalised over 300 commuters for violating COVID-19 norms.
According to the coronavirus safety protocol, it is mandatory for passengers to enter the station premises after thermal screening, hand sanitisation and with a face mask on. Passengers must also adhere to social distancing norms on metro premises throughout the journey, the DMRC had said in a statement.
The commuters are also expected to wait on marked social distancing circles or stripes in queues. The entry gates will be closed at stations if passengers are found violating the norms, it had said.
Meanwhile, India’s COVID-19 tally climbed to 1,20,95,855 with 56,211 more people testing positive for the infection in a span of 24 hours, while 271 more fatalities pushed the death count to 1,62,114.