BackWest Bengal extends Covid curbs till 1 July, allows partial reopening of offices. Details here
Restaurants and bars can be open 12 pm-8 pm with 50% seating, announced CM Mamata BanerjeeShe also said that night curfew in the state will prevail from 9 pm to 5 am
PremiumWest Bengal government on Monday announced that the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in the state have been extended till 1 July in attempts to curb the spread of novel coronavirus.
However, essential services will be exempted from the order.
Announcing the extension, chief minister Mamta Banerjee said that all government offices will function with 25% strength. Private and corporate offices will remain open from 10 am to 4 pm with not more than 25% strength.
She also said that night curfew in the state will prevail from 9 pm to 5 am and all non-essential movement of people will be restricted.
Here's a lowdown on what opens and what remains shut amid Covid curbs:
-Parks to be open from 6 am-9 am for only those who have completed vaccination.
-Grocery Shops to remain open 7-11 am only. Retail shops to operate 11 am-6 pm.
-Restaurants & bars can be open 12pm-8pm with 50% seating.
-Malls to remain open with 30% capacity from 11 am-6 pm.
-Games & sports may resume without spectators.
-All educational institutes to remain closed.
-All public transport to remain suspended except for special staff trains.
-Taxis and autos allowed for hospitals and airports.
-Gyms, salons and cinema halls to remain closed.
"In suppression of all earlier orders issued in terms of the provisions under Disaster Management Act 2005 restriction measures stand extended up to 6 pm of Wednesday 30th June 2021," a government order said.
Sports events can be organised inside stadiums with no spectators while parks will be open in the morning only for walkers who are fully vaccinated.
"Indoor and outdoor film shooting can resume with 50 people if they are fully vaccinated," the chief secretary said.
"All intra-state local trains, Metro Railway and intra-state bus services and inland water transport should remain closed except for staff special trains for movement of emergency and essential services personnel," it said.
Beauty parlours, cinema halls, gyms, spa and swimming pools would continue to remain closed.
While 50 people will be allowed to attend marriage ceremonies or other social gatherings, a maximum of 20 people would be allowed for a funeral, the order stated.
Banks will continue to remain open for restricted hours from 10 am to 2 pm.
The order said that ATMs, petrol pumps, LPG gas distribution centres would continue to operate.
Meanwhile, West Bengal's COVID-19 tally rose to 14,61,257 on Sunday as 3,984 more people tested positive for the infection, while 84 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 16,896, a health bulletin said.
North 24 Parganas district recorded the highest number of new cases at 597, followed by 426 in Kolkata.
North 24 Parganas also registered the highest number of fresh fatalities at 20, followed by Kolkata (15) and Howrah (nine), it said.
As many as 2,497 more people were cured of the disease, taking the total number of recoveries to 14,26,710.
The recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state stands at 97.64 per cent, the bulletin said.
The state now has 17,651 active cases, up by 1,403 from the previous day.
West Bengal has thus far tested over 1.32 crore samples for COVID-19, including 60,113 in the last 24 hours, the bulletin added.
In a press conference, Mamata also added, "We do not have any problem with the implementation of 'One Nation, One Ration' scheme. It is under process."
The comments come after Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the 'One Nation One Ration Card' (ONORC) plan aims to empower all National Food Security Act (NFSA) migrant beneficiaries to access their foodgrains from any fair price shop anywhere in the country by using their existing ration card with biometric authentication and the plan makes food security "portable".
"All the States/UTs have been advised through the communications dated May 20, 2021, and May 25, 2021, to avail their requirements of foodgrains through the mentioned schemes, to provide foodgrains to those who are not covered under the NFSA including migrants/stranded migrants, as per locally assessed requirements," the affidavit of the Centre stated.
The integration of the remaining four States and UT of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and West Bengal is expected to be achieved, depending upon the technical readiness of these States to implement the portability of ration cards, Centre said, adding, the onus on implementing ONORC is on these states.
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