Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Saturday imposed several strict restrictions for the next 15 days staring from Sunday, virtually entering a near-lockdown phase, to combat the spread of Covid-19 cases in the state. The government also postponed Class X and XII board exams scheduled in June.
While all conveyances – trains, buses and Kolkata Metro -- have been shut down, government and private offices closed and markets and retail shops selling grocery allowed to remain open from 7 am till 10 am, only emergency services have been allowed.
According to state government’s order, all outdoor activities at night including movement of people and vehicles between 9 pm and 5 am have been prohibited, except for health services, law and order and essential commodities.
“Madhyamik (class X board exam) and High Secondary (Class XII board exam) scheduled in June this year are also being postponed. No exams would be held in June as schools and colleges are closed. Notification for the new schedule would be issued in due time,” said a senior state government official.
Schools, colleges and universities have already been shut in the state since April 20.
{{/usCountry}}Schools, colleges and universities have already been shut in the state since April 20.
{{/usCountry}}Sweetmeat shops have been allowed to remain open from 10 am to 5 pm, whole jewelry shops may remain open from 12 noon to 3 pm. E-commerce and home delivery of all commodities have been allowed.
Earlier this month, the state government had shut down local trains, while allowing buses, trams and Kolkata Metro to run with 50% capacity. Government and private organisations were allowed to run with half the workforces. RT-PCR negative test report have been made mandatory for anyone trying to enter West Bengal.
Daily count of Covid-19 cases has shot up exponentially in West Bengal since March this year. Experts have blamed it on the rampant violations of Covid-19 protocols at the countless election rallies held in the run-up to the assembly elections that ended on April 29.
On May 13, the state registered 20,846 new cases up from 812 fresh cases reported on March 27 when the eight phase assembly polls kicked off. The state now has 131,792 active cases. Officially 136 persons died in the last 24 hours. Till Friday, the state registered 1,094,802 Covid-19 cases and 12,993 deaths, according to the health department.
Movement of private vehicles, taxis and auto-rickshaws will be prohibited except to and from hospitals, vaccination centres, diagnostic centres airports among others.
While operations in tea gardens have been allowed with 50% strength, jute mills have been allowed to run with 30% strength.
Marriage functions have been allowed but with a cap of 50 persons, while funeral rituals may be held with a maximum of 20 persons.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who assumed charge for the third consecutive time on May 5, had ruled out imposing a total lockdown. Banerjee’s younger brother Ashim Banerjee died on Saturday morning after being detected with Covid-19 last month. He was admitted in a private hospital in Kolkata.
Balram Bhargava, head of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in a recent interview said that lockdown restrictions should remain in place in all districts where the rate of infection is above 10% of those tested. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan had also flagged the issue that some districts in the state were registering 40% positivity rate.