India Imposes Stricter Rules to Fight COVID-19 Spread

Indian authorities started to impose stringent rules, on Thursday, to prevent the spike in COVID-19 infections.

Officials said night curfews have been imposed in all major cities and restaurants ordered to limit customers, adding that mass gatherings at parties and public venues ahead of new year celebrations are not allowed in the country.

Nevertheless, state authorities were finding it difficult to limit crowding in markets, religious sites, and holiday destinations as they were allowed to remain open.

The country reported 13,154 new COVID-19 cases and 268 deaths in the last 24 hours, the federal health ministry revealed. Omicron cases in India rose to 961, according to reports.

"It is being seen that social gatherings are going on in an unrestricted manner with people flouting all social distancing norms...we are trying our best to control the spread of the virus," said Rajesh Tope, the health minister of the western state of Maharashtra of which Mumbai is the capital.