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Kolkata Police step up action against those without masks as Covid-19 cases rise
The Kolkata Police have intensified their crackdown on instances of people not wearing face masks with Covid-19 cases in the city going up after the Durga Puja festival
The Kolkata Police have intensified their crackdown on instances of people not wearing face masks with Covid-19 cases in the city rising after the Durga Puja festivities.
They said 446 people were booked on Sunday and 419 on Monday. Police penalised around 750 people daily in the first week of September. The number dropped by half to around 300-350 daily in the first week of October. Then it declined further to around 200-250 during the Durga Puja festival.
“We have stepped up our vigil against offenders. The night curfew from 11pm to 5am, which was withdrawn for 10 days for the Durga Puja, has been re-imposed, and checking at nights has been tightened. Bars and restaurants have been asked to close by 10.30pm. Over 800 people have been booked for not wearing masks over the last 48 hours,” said an officer with Kolkata Police.
Health experts have blamed violation of safety protocols during the Durga Puja for the rising Covid-19 cases.
“The protocols were rampantly flouted during the festive season. Many were not wearing masks, leaving aside social distancing and sanitising. Two weeks following the Durga Puja would be very crucial,” said Sukumar Mukherjee, a member of an expert committee set up last year to advise Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on matters related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Ten days after the Durga Puja, Bengal’s biggest annual festival, ended, the daily count of Covid-19 cases has been hovering around the 1,000-mark after a three-month gap.
A total of 974 Covid-19 cases were detected on Saturday and 989 on Sunday. On Monday, the cases declined a little, falling to 805.
In Kolkata, Covid-19 cases have doubled since the first week of September. On September 1, Kolkata registered 106 cases.
The Durga Puja festival was celebrated from October 11- 15, while immersion ceremonies went on till October 17. A shopping spree and festivities had started much earlier.
The state administration has started to reintroduce containment zones to check the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
