Delhi weekend curfew: Who requires e-pass, who is exempted? All you need to know

As the national capital gears up to live under weekend curfew from 10 pm on Friday till 5 am on Monday, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava said police and Delhi government are issuing e-passes for the people who need to travel unavoidably.

Who won't need an e-pass?

The Delhi Police chief informed that doctors and journalists will be allowed to travel without an e-pass on the basis of a valid identity card.

"If anyone has to go to a hospital in an emergency, it'll be considered. A doctor going to a hospital can go on the basis of an ID. If a vegetable seller is making sales and it can be seen then he'll be allowed even without a pass," said Shrivastava. 

"Journalists can move on basis of their IDs, they won't face any issue - except those whose IDs won't be proper. They won't be permitted and the same action will be taken as for anyone else," he added.

People appearing for examinations this weekend in Delhi will not require curfew e-passes, DDMA said in an order on Friday.

The DDMA directed that "any person/student shall be allowed for movement during the curfew to appear in examination on production of valid admit card".

"The examination staff deployed for exam duties shall also be allowed to travel on production of valid identity card," the order read.

Delhi Metro trains to run at reduced frequency 

In view of the weekend curfew, the metro services will be available with a headway of 15 minutes across the whole network, except for two bifurcations in the network -- Noida/Vaishali section of Blue Line and Kirti Nagar/Inderlok section of Green Line, where metro services will be available after every 30 minutes.

"In view of the curfew imposed by the government for the coming weekend for the containment of COVID-19, Metro services will be available with a headway of 15 minutes across the whole network on the weekend--on April 17 and April 18," said Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

"In the two sections, where there is a bifurcation in the network-- Noida/Vaishali section of Blue Line and Kirti Nagar/Inderlok section of Green Line, the headway will become double i.e. services will be available after every 30 minutes in these sections," it added.

Mother Dairy services to remain open

Meanwhile, mother dairy in a statement informed that its services will be available during the weekend curfew as they are part of essential items.

"Mother Dairy is part of essential services and we will be at your service without disruption on Sunday," said the FMCG company.

As per DDMA, the latest guidelines issued on Thursday regarding weekend curfew, the National Zoological Park will be closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday had announced a curfew this weekend and the closure of malls, gymnasiums and auditoriums till April 30 as part of sweeping restrictions to break the chain of the COVID-19 infection in the city.

The national capital reported 16,699 new COVID-19 cases, 112 deaths, and 13,014 recoveries on Thursday.