Important news for Delhi Metro commuters: Entry gates of 5 stations closed to avoid crowding

The Delhi Metro on Tuesday temporarily closed entry for New Delhi, Chandni Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Rajiv Chowk and MG Road stations to ensure social distancing as part of crowd control measures. Meanwhile, the exit is allowed from all the stations. Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a series of tweets.

"Entry for New Delhi, Chandni Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Rajiv Chowk and MG Road has been temporarily closed to ensure social distancing as part of our crowd control measures. Exit is allowed," tweeted DMRC.

As Delhi enters a 6-day lockdown, DMRC on Monday issued guidelines and informed that the metro services during peak hours in the mornings (8 am to 10 am) and in evenings (5 pm to 7 pm), across the network, will be available with a headway (frequency) of 30 minutes.

For the rest of the day, the metro services across the network will be available with a frequency of 60 minutes. During the lockdown period, travel will be allowed only up to 50 per cent seating capacity in the Metro.

As many as 240 people lost their lives to COVID-19 -- the highest-ever number of deaths registered in a single day in the national capital - and 23,686 fresh coronavirus infections were reported in the last 24 hours in Delhi.

As per the state health bulletin of the Delhi government issued on Monday evening, the total infection caseload has reached 8,77,146 with 76,887 active cases. The overall COVID-19 casualties in Delhi have soared up to 12,361.