N 24-Pgns: To curb spike, markets in Barasat to be shut for 3 days a week & 4 days in Baranagar

Kolkata: North 24-Parganas district administrations have started taking stringent measures against those who are violating Covid norms.

As many as 50 people were apprehended from the Deganga area of North 24-Parganas since Sunday night. Police are carrying out surveillance in various places which see a considerable number of footfalls. Campaigns are conducted in all the market places and also in those areas where offices are situated.

Police personnel are carrying out awareness campaigns to make people aware so that none steps out of houses without covering his/her face with masks. In many areas the police are also distributing masks among the people.

As the daily infected cases have jumped, the various civic bodies including Barrackpore, Kamarhati, Panihati, South Dum Dum have already closed markets three days of a week. Barasat Municipality is going to close markets and shops under its jurisdiction on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from January 11 while Baranagar Municipality will keep its markets closed on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

The number of active cases in Barasat is around 324 while in Baranagar more than 151 people have been infected in the past 24 hours.

The decision has been taken for a period of next 15 days following which the authorities will analyze data and take further decisions.

Senior civic officials from Barasat and Baranagar said that apart from the days when the markets will remain completely shut, strict surveillance will be maintained in the market places to ensure Covid protocols are followed properly. As the infection started rising in the district, various civic bodies have started initiatives to set up safe homes to handle any unforeseen situation. Various civic bodies in the district have already set up micro containment zones and surveillance is being carried out in those areas.

North 24-Parganas has registered 4,297 fresh Covid cases on Monday. Two people died of Covid in the district in the past 24 hours.

The total number of Covid infected cases in North 24-Parganas has so far gone up to 3,62,075 till Monday.