Alarmed at the steep rise in corona cases the Bengal Government on Tuesday decided to re-impose lockdown in containment zones which in any case went up by at least 11 digits in Capital Kolkata alone.
Following recommendations from 10 districts including North 24 and South 24 Parganas, Malda, North Dinajpur the State Government has decided to slap lockdown once again in all the containment zones where no business apart from essential services will be allowed to remain open. The new phase of lockdown will begin from July 9 the Government circular said.
The order will be implemented in Kolkata too where the number of containment zones went up from 17 on Monday to 28 on Tuesday. After the State Capital, North 24 Parganas continued to witness highest number of cases which had crossed the 4,000 marks.
“At present only the urban areas of the district will remain under lockdown,” sources said adding large parts of Malda including Ingrez Bazaar municipality, Old Malda and Kaliachak had once again been brought under lockdown. Dalkhola region at the junction of NH 31 and 34 connecting rest of India to the North East too have been brought under lockdown, sources said.
In Kolkata the Municipal Corporation authorities complained the rise in the number of cases was because of the “wayward attitude of the upper echelon of the society.”
“There are reports that the people living in high rise apartments and private mansions are not following the guidelines which is why Kolkata is witnessing a steep rise in corona cases… if this is not stopped here and now then things can take uglier turn,” Atin Ghosh a senior member in the KMC’s administrative team and former Deputy Mayor said.
Out of the 255 cases that Kolkata recorded in the past 24 hours only 13 came from the slums where as the remaining cases came from the rich and middle class families meaning thereby that they are not following the norms, Ghosh said.
The total number of cases in Bengal has crossed 23,000 with only one inspiring news that the recovery rate has gone as high as about 69 percent, sources said. As of Monday evening, there were 6,973 active cases in the State, while the total tally is at 22,987.
Meanwhile after suspending flights linking Kolkata to hotspot cities the Centre has now decided to reduce the frequency of trains coming to Howrah.
With Bengal seeing a spike in corona cases the Indian Railways have decided to reduce the number of special trains to Howrah from Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi.
The special trains will now run weekly instead of daily, sources said adding the decision was taken following requests from the State Government to the Railway Ministry. State Chief Secretary had earlier written a letter in this regard to the Chairman of the Railway Board.
Accordingly the Howrah-Ahmedabad Special will run once a week instead of daily, from July 10 and reverse from July 13, while the
Howrah-Mumbai CSMT Special will run weekly from July 15 and reverse from July 17.
The Howrah-Delhi via Patna will run once a week from July 11 and reverse from July 12, whereas, Howrah-Delhi via Dhanbad will run weekly from July 16 and reverse from July 17. Flights to Kolkata from hotspot zones would remain suspended till July 16.