West Bengal announces lockdown from today: Public transport to be shut, markets to be open from 7 am to 10 am

The West Bengal government on Saturday announced a complete lockdown from Sunday till 30 May in order to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state. “We are taking some strict measures to contain the pandemic, starting Sunday 6 am till 6 pm of 30 May,” Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said. The state on Friday registered its highest single-day spike of 20,846 fresh cases, taking the total tally to 10,94,802, the health department bulletin showed. The toll rose to 12,993 after 136 more people died due to the virus. Here is an overview of the restrictions that will be in place - -Night curfew will remain in place between 9 pm to 5 am. -Industries and factories will remain shut. -Inter-state trains, buses and Metro services will remain shut. -All gatherings, including religious gatherings, are prohibited. -Schools, colleges and all educational institutions will be shut. -Government and private offices will remain closed. However, government offices handling emergency and essential services will remain operational. -Gyms, spas, shopping malls and cinema halls to remain shut. The following exemptions and relaxations have been given - -All emergency services and media operations are allowed. -Essential services like medical stores, optical showrooms and ATMs will be allowed to remain open. -All markets and bazaars can remain functional from 7 am and to 10 am. -Taxis and autos will be allowed to ply with emergency passengers and ferry passengers from airports. -Weddings will be permitted with no more than 50 people in attendance with physical distancing. With inputs from PTI