Services to stay open during 2-day weekly lockdown in Bengal

Kolkata: A day after announcing its decision to impose state-wide lockdown twice a week, the Bengal government on Tuesday has issued the order stating that there will be complete lockdown across the state from 6 am to 10 pm on Thursday and Saturday of the current week.

The same will also be followed on Wednesday of the next week that is on July 29. The state government also gave detailed information on the sectors those will remain out of the ambit of the lockdown.

However, as per the previous order, "restrictions on movement of individuals" apart from that of essential services from 10 pm to 5 am will continue as usual. At the same time strict lockdown at the "broad-based" containment zones will continue. At present there are 838 containment zones in the state including 28 in Kolkata.

On Monday, the state Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay had announced the government's decision of imposing complete lockdown on two days every week till August end with a spike in COVID-19 cases and apprehension over occurrence of some cases of community transmission.

As per the Tuesday's order, "government and private offices and commercial establishments will remain closed on these two days of this week and on Wednesday of the next week. Public and private transport will also not be allowed to operate unless it is for essential services.

In a bid to help people get essentials at their door-step, relaxations have been given to home delivery of cooked food and e-commerce services.

The other sectors that will remain also out of the ambit of lockdown include health services including movement of health personnel or patients by public and private transport, medicine shops and pharmacies, law and order, courts, correctional services, fire and emergency services, electricity, water and conservancy services. Relaxations have also been given to functioning of "continuous process industries", industries with in-house workers, capital and debt market, and intrastate and interstate movement of goods. In-field job of the agriculture and tea garden will not get affected due to the lockdown.

"Print, electronic media and social media" will also remain open on the days of complete lockdown.