Bengal extends 'twice-a-week' Covid lockdown till mid-Sept

Kolkata: The Bengal government on Wednesday announced that the 'twice-a-week' complete shutdown in the state would be observed on September 7, 11 and 12 respectively, extending the lockdown with broad-based containment zone approach till September 20.

Banerjee also said flight operations would resume from six COVID-19 hotspots — Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Nagpur and Ahmedabad — but extended the closure of educational institutes till September 20.

"We have received several requests to resume flight operations from six COVID hotspots. So from September 1, flight services from these six cities can resume thrice a week," she said after a Cabinet meeting.

Banerjee also stated that the Bengal government is ready to give permission to resume the sub-urban train service if the Railways runs one-fourth of the total number of trains that usually operate in a day. Usually in the pre-lockdown regime, 452 pairs and 223 pairs of sub-urban trains used to operate from Sealdah and Howrah stations respectively.

"Metro services in Kolkata can also be resumed if it can be undertaken following the norms of physical distancing," she said adding that the concerned authorities may discuss the same with the state government.

However, no flight or train services will be allowed on the days of the statewide "twice-a-week lockdown".

The decision of giving the series of relaxations besides extending the lockdown comes when the discharge rate in the state is witnessing a rise every day. It stood at 3,314 on Wednesday compared to that of 3,251 on Tuesday. While 2,974 people tested positive and 55 deaths due to Covid were logged on Wednesday, a record number of 40,031 swab sample tests were conducted.

"As the Covid cases are still increasing in some states, we have decided to extend the lockdown here as well," Banerjee said adding that the Covid protocol will have to be maintained as it is being followed at present.

She said after the Cabinet meeting was held at Nabanna Sabhaghar a day before the eighth statewide "twice-a-week" lockdown in the state. As announced by the state government earlier, a complete lockdown will be imposed on Thursday when police will keep strict vigil since morning and will adopt stringent measures in case anyone is found moving out of their houses without any valid reason. No offices will remain open and vehicles apart from those for essential services will remain off the roads. Though relaxations have been given to essential services, markets will continue to remain closed. The last "twice-a-week" lockdown this month is on August 31.