West Bengal extends COVID19 lockdown till May 31: CM Mamata Banerjee
May 18, 2020
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 18 : A day after the Centre announced the extension of coronavirus lockdown, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that the extension will be applied in the state as well till May 31.
"The containment zones in urban and rural areas have been divided into three categories: A - affected zones; B - buffer zone and C - clean zone. While all shops will be closed in A zones, in B zones only some activities will be happening and the C zones will be completely open," Banerjee said at a video conference here.
She further said that big, medium and small shops will open from May 21.
"A meeting will be held with the Kolkata Mayor, DG, ADG (Law and Order), Home Secretary and Municipality Secretary to decide on the opening of the hawker markets. These markets will open from May 27 on the odd-even basis and while maintaining rules like social distancing, wearing masks and gloves."
The Chief Minister also said that the government and private offices in the state will be allowed to function with only 50 per cent staff.
"While the malls will not open, the private offices in the malls can function with 50 per cent staff. Hotels are now allowed to operate as people live in separate rooms there," she said.
State-owned and private buses have been allowed to operate while maintaining social distancing.
Auto-rickshaws will also operate with only two passengers from May 27.
Banerjee also said, "Sports sans any gathering like golf, lawn tennis, etc, can be held. Meanwhile, at wedding and funerals, the number of people that will now be allowed is 15."
Salons and beauty parlours will also open while maintaining social distancing and sanitisation. "The barbers of saloons and beauty parlours will have to sanitise their equipment after every use to avoid the spread of coronavirus," the Chief Minister said.
The government, she said is not declaring a night curfew but "request people to not come outside between 7 pm to 7 am"
On the issue of nurses leaving the hospitals amid coronavirus situation, the Chief Minister said, "We will train locals for seven days to put saline, give oxygen support or check temperatures to help with the crisis. How will the hospitals work if nurses are leaving?"
Speaking on the Eid al-Fitr, she said, "While I wish Eid-i-Mubarak to all, people are advised to celebrate the festival in their homes to avoid getting infected with coronavirus and maintaining lockdown norms."
