The bi-weekly complete lockdown that is to come into effect in the city, from tomorrow, has left citizens with no choice but rush to gather essentials from today. The police have made announcements that markets will remain shut while banks will also keep their shutters down, leading to a sudden halt in regular services which were limping to normalcy after nearly three months of continuous lockdown.

The bi-weekly lockdown will remain imposed on 23, 25 and 29 July, as decided by state authorities. The police today made announcements in markets in Gariahat, Maniktala, Phoolbagan, Chitpore lock gate and many others. Masks were distributed among people who were warned against coming out of their residences unless in case of emergency. At the same time, citizens were perturbed that banks will remain closed.

They rued, reduction in working days of the banks are mounting great pressure on the account holders who are unable to complete their banking needs. The decision by the state government comes in the wake of abnormal spurt in the number of Covid -19 cases in the state and in the city. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has compiled its recent list of containment zones which are around 28 and mostly in South Kolkata whose numbers were comparatively lesser than the North.

The list reveals a number of cases in complexes and mixed premises have gone up. The list compiled only yesterday features at least 13 containment zones in the complexes while the number of mixed premises are 11 approximately. In Jodhpur Park, a stretch of Gobindapur Road has been declared a broad based containment zone while 37 Panditya Road at Rabindra Sarobar was too declared a containment zone.

Other areas in South Kolkata feature Ballygunge, Bhawanipore, Alipore, Santoshpore, Gariahat, Kasba etc. In North Kolkata, the affected areas are Maniktala, Beadon Street, Posta and a few more. The police have strictly announced anyone spotted stepping out without a mask will be subjected to penalty.

The curfew will remain in place from 6 am to 10 pm during which there will be no vehicle movement and neither will any institutions or offices be allowed to function, the police announced. The Kolkata airport authorities have meanwhile requested the state government to ensure boarding /arrival passengers get to avail transport to ferry them to the airport and to their destinations in Kolkata.