Hotels, banquet halls to remain shut, borders to open: Kejriwal

New Delhi

A day before relaxations under 'Unlock 1' were set to begin, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that place of worship, malls and restaurants will open in the national capital but hotels and banquet halls will remain closed.

Addressing a press conference here, he said: "Places of worship, malls, restaurant shall open in Delhi as per the Centre guidelines.

"However, banquet halls and hotels will remain closed."

Kejriwal also said that the hotels and banquet halls may be converted into hospitals in the coming days, if required.

The Chief Minister also announced that the borders of Delhi with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh will be open from Monday.

Kejriwal had announced the sealing of the border with the adjoining states for a week amid the rise in the numbers of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in the city.

The Chief Minister once again urged the people to wear face masks while going out and also appealed the senior citizens to stay at home.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in the national capital has risen to 27,654 with 769 fatalities due to the pandemic.

Kejriwal also announced that Delhi government hospitals will be available for the citizens of the city only, while those run by the Central government will remain open for all.

Meanwhile, private hospitals, except those where special surgeries like neurosurgery are performed, will also be kept reserved for Delhi residents, he said.