New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS): Hundreds of gym owners on Saturday staged a protest outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, demanding opening of gyms in the national capital.

The Delhi Gym Association said that as the Covid-19 cases have started registering a decline, gyms and fitness centres should be also be allowed by the Delhi government to operate like other businesses.

"Bars and restaurants have been opened. Offices too can operate with 50 per cent of their staff, we do not understand why gyms and fitness centres that help masses in keeping themselves fit, is still under restriction," Sujit (name changed) a gym owner in the national capital told IANS.

Salon owners too have the same demand.

Restrictions on gyms, salons, restaurants and bars came into force under the level 1 i.e. yellow alert of the Graded Action Response Plan (GRAP) under which it is decided as to which activities would be allowed under what circumstances in case of a surge in Covid-19 cases. There are four levels of colour-coded alerts namely, yellow, amber, orange and red.

The yellow alert was issued by the authority in December last year when the Covid positivity rate had crossed 0.5 per cent in the national capital.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Thursday lifted the weekend curfew and also allowed restaurants, bars and cinema halls to open up with 50 per cent capacity. Meanwhile, gyms and schools in the city are still shut.