Bi-weekly lockdown kicks off in Bengal as state sees highest daily spike of 2,291 fresh COVID-19 cases, 39 deaths

Kolkata: All petrol pumps in the state of West Bengal will remain operational on the three days as lockdown returns in the state for two days in a week to stem the spread of the coronavirus, a senior official of the home department said.

Factories and construction works where labourers stay on-site will also be allowed to function on the lockdown days.

The administration has decided to impose total lockdown in the entire state on two days every week till August.

The shutdown would be clamped on Thursday and Saturday this week.

The measure will also be enforced on Wednesday next week and the second day will be announced later.

"On the lockdown days (July 23, 25 and 29), petrol pumps will remain open to serve the vehicles that are allowed to ply. Work in factories and construction sites having on-site workers will also be allowed on complete lockdown days," the official said.

All government and private offices, commercial establishments, public and private transport, as well as activities other than under emergency services would remain closed on these days.

The functioning of courts, work in agricultural fields and tea gardens, intra-state and inter-state goods movements and home delivery of cooked food would be allowed.

Norms of physical distancing, wearing of masks, health and hygiene protocol must be strictly adhered to at all times, a government order said.

Movement of individuals shall remain strictly prohibited between 10 PM to 5 AM except for essential and emergency activities, it added.

Bank unions on Wednesday sought clarification from the West Bengal government whether banking services are exempted from the fresh lockdown to be imposed twice a week.

The government had on Monday issued a notification directing that all bank branches in the state would remain closed on Saturdays.

West Bengal state secretary of All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) Sanjoy Das said that as per the previous lockdown orders, banking services were exempted and banks continued rendering their services to people during that period.

Convenor of West Bengal unit of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) Siddhartha Khan echoed a similar voice stating that the government should clarify whether banking services are kept out of the purview of the fresh lockdown.

Over 2,000 employees of state-run and private banks of West Bengal have been affected by COVID-19, Das had said earlier.

The state's death toll in West Bengal mounted to 1,221 as it reported the worst daily spike of 39 fatalities on Wednesday, the health department said.

It also recorded 2,291 fresh infections, pushing the tally to 49,321, it said in a bulletin.

Of the 39 deaths, 15 were reported from Kolkata, 11 from North 24 Parganas, three each from Hooghly and South 24 Parganas, two from Howrah, and one each from Darjeeling, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Bardhaman districts.

The number of active cases in the state stands at 18,450.

The bulletin added that 1,615 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours.

Of the new infections, Kolkata accounted for 692 cases, so far the highest in a day.

The districts that recorded at least 100 new infections are North 24 Parganas (624), Howrah (225), South 24 Parganas (191) and Hooghly (139), the bulletin said.

At least 14,040 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said.

Meanwhile, the broad-based containment zones in the state rose to 930, according to the updated data on the state government website 'Egiye Bangla'.