West Bengal extends COVID-19 restrictions till September-end; night curbs to continue

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Wednesday extended the COVID-related restrictions till 30 September with the existing relaxations, as per an official notification. The restrictions, first imposed on 16 May and extended at regular intervals, were set to expire on Wednesday. “Wearing of masks, maintenance of physical distancing and health and hygiene protocols must be followed at all times,” the notification said. The state government has allowed offices, both government and private, to function with half the manpower, as per the order. “All outdoor activities including movement of people and vehicles shall be strictly prohibited between 11 pm to 5 am except for health services, law and order, essential commodities including agriculture produce and other emergency services,” the order said. District administrations, police commissionerates and local authorities shall ensure strict compliance with the state directives of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, it said. “Any violation of the restriction measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and relevant sections of the IPC,” it added.