New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: In a bid to control a possible third wave of coronavirus, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has put into force a colour-coded action plan in the national capital. DDMA has ordered that restrictions or relaxations related to COVID in Delhi from now on will be implemented as stipulated by the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). All district administrations are told to implement GRAP recommendations with immediate effect. Daily alerts will be sent to all districts under the colour-coded system. Delhi is the first state to enforce such a plan to combat COVID.
"Permitted/prohibited/restricted activities shall be as per the level of alerts specified in the Graded Response Action Plan with immediate effect and till further orders," DDMA said.
"As soon as any parameter (out of three) reaches the specified level of alert, 'the order of alert' shall be issued and permitted/prohibited/restricted activities prescribed at such level shall become operational automatically," DDMA order read.
What is Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)?
The actions plan lays down separate guidelines for four levels of severity marked by different colour codes. These range from Level 1 (yellow), Level 2 (Amber), Level 3 (Orange) to Level 4 (red). Based on the GRAP recommendations separate sets of measures to tackle positivity rate, active cases, and hospitalisations will be listed. They will be classified under Yellow, Amber, Orange and Red alerts.
This colour-coded action plan was approved by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal last month. It takes into consideration three parameters- positivity rate, number of active cases, and average oxygenated bed occupancy. Based on an analysis of these parameters levels of alert and their criteria are recommended in the plan.
How does it work?
With an increase in the level of alerts, the COVID curbs will also increase in the given district. Red is the highest level of alert. Even with the announcement of an orange alert, most economic and social activities and public transport facilities will come to a halt. Here's a list of what the colors individually stand for:
Yellow: level 1 alert, positivity rate crosses 0.5 per cent for more than two days, daily new cases increase to 1,500, bed occupancy 500.
Amber: level 2 alert, positivity rate rises above 1 per cent, new cases above 3,500, bed occupancy 700.
Orange: level 3 alert, positivity rate crosses two per cent, new cases above 9,000, bed occupancy 1000.
Red: level 4 highest level of alert, positivity rate crosses 5 per cent, new cases rise to 16,000, bed occupancy reaches 3,000.
