The Bengal government today ordered a lockdown in Kolkata and all districts from 5 p.m. tomorrow till 27 March in view of Coronavirus pandemic. No public transport services would be permitted during this period. All shops, commercial establishments, offices, factories, workshops, godowns shall remain closed.

Any congregation of more than seven people shall be prohibited in public places. The move came soon after the Centre advised states to issue appropriate orders to allow only essential services to operate in the 75 districts which have reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 to a period ending on 31 March.

The advisory was issued to all the state chief secretaries during a video conference held by the Cabinet secretary and principal secretary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning. A senior official of Nabanna said that instead of continuing the lockdown till 31 March it has been decided to review the situation and then decide accordingly.

The Government of India has suspended all trains including both passenger and suburban as well as Kolkata Metro till 31 March. The lockdown termed as “Complete Safety Restrictions” has been notified under section 2,3 and 4 of the Endemic Disease Act 1897 for prevention and containment of Coronavirus. Any person found violating these instructions shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1680), read the notification.

The public distribution system has been exempted from the restriction and there would not be any restriction on the selling, storage and transportation of groceries, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, bread and milk. Medicine shops, optical stores, pharmaceutical manufacturing and their transportation will operate normally.

Similarly, the banks and ATMs have been exempted from the restriction. Again, petrol pumps, LPG gas, oil agencies, their godowns and transportation have also been excluded. There will be exemption to all kinds of transport to and from hospitals, airport, railway stations and bus stand terminals.

Good carriers carrying food and essential commodities are also exempted from this notification.

3 more test positive in Kolkata:

Three more persons tested positive for novel coronavirus in Kolkata on Sunday, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal to seven, health department officials said. The three are parents of a UK-returned youth, the second positive case of the deadly infection in the state, and a maid working at their residence in Ballygunge area.

All the three are currently at an isolation ward of the state-run Beliaghata ID hospital, officials said.