The West Bengal Government on Sunday announced near-lockdown-like curbs after corona positivity rate leaped up to 16 per cent and daily infections count reached 6,153 in the State.
Kolkata accounted for 3,194 new cases, a health department bulletin said. The State had recorded 4,512 Covid-19 cases on Saturday, with the metropolis alone reporting 2,398 of them. The bulletin said eight people died of coronavirus on Sunday, while nine such patients had perished the previous day.
A total of 19,781 people have died of the disease so far, according to the bulletin. West Bengal State Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi ordered the closure of educational institutions, imposition of night curfew, and shutting down of all tourists spots, gyms, salons, swimming pools, and spas.
The attendance in theatres, cinema halls, and other amusement spots will be half the capacity. Local trains, including the metro railways, will run with 50 per cent passengers whereas the Government and private offices will work with half their total staff strength.
“In view of rising corona cases, attendance at all government and private offices in the State will be capped at 50 per cent.
All administrative meetings will be conducted via virtual mode,” Dwivedi said, adding the “local trains will take in passengers 50 percent of their sitting strength… and local train service (barring staff specials) will run till 7 pm only.”
While flights from the UK have already been suspended, the Government also ordered 10 percent RTPCR tests for the air traffic passengers coming from “non-risk” countries. All the passengers will have to undergo a mandatory Rapid Antigen test. Flights from Delhi and Mumbai had been slashed to twice a week (only on Monday and Friday), the Government said.
“There will be a complete restriction on movement --- except essential services --- between 10 pm and 5 am,” the Chief Secretary said adding all large gatherings would be restricted to 200 people. Only 50 people would be allowed in marriage ceremonies while 20 would be allowed for funeral, Government ordered.
The situation was so grim that Calcutta National Medical College ---one of the top Government medical colleges --- saw 48 out of 93 medical staff getting infected, sources said adding at least 39 of the OPD patients were found infected. The Government-run Chittaranjan Sishu Seva Sadan saw 36 medical staff getting infected whereas 24 doctors of R. Ahmed Dental College and Hospital a Government facility were down with corona.
Meanwhile, the Opposition parties like the BJP and the Left attacked the Government for delaying the restrictions and allowing “for petty political reasons” mid-night revelry and mass gathering on Christmas night and on New Year Eve allowing corona graph to skyrocket.