Covid crisis: Stricter lockdown to be enforced

Kolkata: Many civic bodies across the North 24-Parganas district have decided to implement stricter lockdown as the number of Covid cases has gone up in the recent past. The civic bodies have found that the complete lockdown is the only way to check transmission among humans.

In an attempt to flatten the Covid curve, the Barasat Municipality will maintain a complete lockdown in all its 35 wards for seven days from Saturday. According to the municipality administrator, the lockdown would be enforced in a strict manner for seven days after the completion of which the decision would be taken if it should be continued. The Covid curve is quite alarming in the district headquarters at Barasat.

Municipality administrator Sunil Mukherjee said during the previous lockdown, many people in Barasat were found to be flouting norms. They were found walking along the streets and joining social gatherings without wearing masks and taking proper precautions. Even the physical distancing norms were not properly maintained by a certain section of people. As a result, the infection rate has increased.

A stricter lockdown would be maintained in all the 35 wards under the municipal areas for seven days from Saturday. No vehicles would be allowed to ply except those passing through the national highway, said Mukherjee. Not a single shop will be allowed to open except those dealing in essential services.

"All markets including shops, tea stalls, plying of auto-rickshaws are prohibited. The movement of individuals is strictly prohibited for the next seven days except for the essential and emergency activities. The situation will be reviewed on August 3 on the basis of which the decision would be taken," reads the order issued by the municipality.

The civic body has started rigorous campaigns throughout the municipal areas to spread awareness about wearing masks and social distancing. Attempts have been made to open 24x7 information centres in various wards to disseminate information among the people, a senior official said.

Many other municipalities have adopted the same route. North Barrackpore municipality has decided to maintain complete lockdown from July 27 to July 31.

Medicine shops, milk outlets and ration shops would remain open. All offices, restaurants, factories, shopping malls will remain shut during this period.

Naihati Municipality has already started lockdown from July 23 and it would continue till July 30 in all its 31 wards.

The municipality has been carrying out sanitisation works in all the wards. Many other municipalities have adopted the same method to check the transmission. It may be mentioned that the infection rate is the highest in North 24-Parganas after Kolkata.