Kolkata: The complete state-wide "twice-a-week" lockdown on the second consecutive day on Friday in the third week of August has been successfully imposed with lesser number of arrests compared to that of on Thursday.
The police arrested 1,972 people on charges of violating lockdown norms on Friday while 2,146 people till 6 pm on Thursday, police said.
According to experts, the drop in number of arrests shows that the tendency of not abiding by the lockdown norms among even the minimum number of people of the state's total population is considerably minimising. It is helpful in checking the hike in the spread of COVID-19 when 3,245 people tested positive in the past 24 hours and the disease claimed 55 lives on Friday. At the same time, the discharge rate has gone up to 76.96 per cent with 3082 people were released from hospital after getting cured of COVID-19. As many as 36,229 swab sample tests were conducted on Friday.
Like Thursday, the police continued maintaining strict vigil with Naka-checking at entry and exit points of all districts. In Kolkata, too, there were Naka-checking at crucial intersections. Drones were even used to maintain the vigil on a rain-soaked day. There was incessant rainfall throughout the day mainly in the south Bengal districts.
Reports of setting up of vegetable stalls at markets in certain areas were negligible and police took immediate steps soon after receiving such information of lockdown violation.
The complete lockdown continued peacefully throughout the state and police lodged 73 FIRs. In Bidhannagar, 11 people were arrested and nine two-wheelers were seized till 7.30 pm.
Both the flight and long-distance train services remained suspended in the state on Friday due to the lockdown.
Though government and banks will remain closed on Saturday, other permitted services will become operational following the present restrictions in place. Shops and markets will reopen after remaining closed for two days. Similarly, public transport services will be available.
The next state-wide complete lockdown is on August 27 and the last day of the same in this month is on August 30.