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Covid-19: Local train services continue to remain suspended in West Bengal
The state government said all local, suburban and EMU train services will continue to remain suspended till further advice.
A day after the West Bengal government announced new restrictions in the state for the next 15 days to prevent the Covid-19 virus from proliferating, the state government said that the local train services will continue to remain suspended, reported news agency ANI.
The state government said all local, suburban and EMU train services will continue to remain suspended till further advice. However, other special trains, mail, express special trains, parcel trains and freight trains will continue to be operational as per schedule, till further advice, the government said, reported ANI.
West Bengal on Saturday announced a complete lockdown in the state from 6am of May 16 to 6pm of May 30.
Under the new lockdown rules, all private and government offices, except for emergency service providers will remain closed. Gyms, cinema halls, salons, swimming pools, schools and intra-state bus services are ordered to remain shut. The imposed restrictions prohibit any kind of academic, political and social gathering. For wedding functions, more than 50 people are not allowed.
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"Academic, cultural, administrative, political and religious gathering remain prohibited. No more than 50 people allowed in wedding functions. Movement of private vehicles, taxi, auto to be suspended from May 16 till May 30. Schools to remain close," the news agency quoted chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay as saying.
Bandyopadhyay said that retails shops will be open for three hours in the morning from 7am to 10am.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on May 5 first announced the suspension of local train services in the wake of the second wave of the pandemic.
West Bengal is one of the ten states with the highest number of active Covid-19 cases. According to the Union health ministry data, the active caseload in the state reached over 131,000. The state is also one of the top contributors to the new Covid-19 infections added to the country's tally on Sunday. West Bengal reported 19,511 fresh coronavirus disease cases and 144 deaths in the last 24 hours, the data showed.
