The Delhi government on Sunday allowed gyms and yoga centres in the national capital to reopen after being closed for over five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an order issued late in the night, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) said that gymnasiums and yoga institutes will be permitted to reopen in the city, except in the containment zones, with immediate effect.

According to the order, weekly markets have also been allowed on a trial basis till September 30 under ’Unlock-4’. The AAP dispensation and the Lieutenant Government office have recently been at loggerheads over the reopening of gyms in the national capital. Last month, the Delhi government had sent a proposal to Lt Governor Anil Baijal in this regard, but it was turned down.

The decision about reopening gyms and yoga centres comes at a time the city has been witnessing a surge in the number of coronavirus cases. On Sunday, the tally of coronavirus cases in Delhi rose to 2.18 lakh with 4,235 more people contracting the viral disease, while 29 fresh fatalities in the last 24 hours pushed the death toll to 4,744.

This was the fifth day in a trot that the national capital recorded a daily spike of over 4,000 fresh cases. The city recorded its biggest single-day jump of 4,321 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, 4,266 on Friday, 4,308 on Thursday and 4,039 on Wednesday.

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