West Bengal lockdown from May 16: What’s allowed, what’s not

The West Bengal government, on May 15, announced a complete lockdown for two weeks, starting May 16, to stem the spread of the COVID-19. “We are taking some strict measures to contain the pandemic, starting Sunday 6 am till 6 pm of May 30,” Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said.

“Additional restriction measures to cut down the mobility of people and limiting human contact through assembly and congregation is essential to cut the transmission chain of the virus and to contain the pandemic,” he said.

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Know what will be allowed and what will not be during the lockdown.

–During the lockdown, all government and private offices, shopping complexes, malls, bars, sports complexes, pubs and beauty parlours will remain closed other than those relating to emergency and essential services, including healthcare, law and order, courts, power, drinking water and media.

-Movement of private vehicles, taxis, buses, metro rail, suburban trains will also be disallowed during the 15-day lockdown period.

-“Petrol pumps will remain open and essential services like milk, water, medicine, electricity, fire, law and order and media will not come under the purview of it,” Bandyopadhyay added.

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-“All intra-state local trains, bus services, metro railway and inland water transport shall remain closed for the 15-day lockdown period, barring movement of emergency and essential services personnel,” he said.

-Intra-state movement of trucks and goods carriers shall also be prohibited except relating to medical supplies, oxygen and essential food commodities.

-“All gatherings be it administrative, entertainment, political, cultural, and religious gatherings shall be prohibited,” he said, adding that all industries and manufacturing units, other than those relating to medical supplies, will be under the purview of the directive,” he said.

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-Whereas tea gardens will be allowed to operate with a 50% workforce in each shift, jute mills can do the same with 30% of their strength, the official order said.

-E-commerce and home delivery services of all commodities shall be allowed.

“District administrations, the police shall ensure strict compliance of the directive, Anyone found violating the restrictions will be liable to be proceeded against as per provisions of the Disaster Management Act and under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code,” the order said.

West Bengal, till Friday, registered 1,094,802 COVID-19 cases and 12,993 deaths.