Kolkata and Howrah have been designated coronavirus “red zones” with chief minister Mamata Banerjee directing police to enforce the lockdown strictly and contain the infection at any cost in these places.

“These two places are very sensitive and if we fail to control the situation then the infection may spread at the community level and then it would be a very serious condition. We are handling the lockdown humanely and so some people are taking it casually. I would appeal to everybody to remain inside your houses. If needed, police can transport food to your houses. The situation should improve within seven to 10 days,” said Miss Banerjee during a video conference with DMs, SPs and CMOHs of all the districts.

Miss Banerjee said that north and central Kolkata and many wards of Howrah are “very sensitive”. Issuing directives for these places, Miss Banerjee said that a maximum of five persons can wait in front of a shop and sanitisers and masks are mandatory in markets. The markets will be closed by 12 p.m. She told the Howrah DM to ensure that nobody is allowed inside a market without mask and arrange sanitisers in all the markets to ensure people enter the market after sanitising their hands.

Miss Banerjee told police to deploy armed personnel and police pickets in markets. There are 162 active Covid- 19 cases in the state till now with 22 positive cases being detected in the last 24 hours while 55 coronavirus patients have been cured till now. Currently, 90 per cent of the active coronavirus cases are from Kolkata and Howrah.

East Midnapore, which was earlier in the “red zone” has shifted to “orange zone” meaning no case has been detected in 14 days but North 24-Parganas has continued to remain in the “red zone”. Miss Banerjee asked the North 24- Parganas DM to ensure that the virus does not enter through Petrapole.

The DMs of Hooghly, Midnapore West, Murshidabad, West Burdwan, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, South 24-Parganas were asked to undertake containment measures as these districts have also reported a few cases. Ten districts are in “green zone” meaning they have been designated as safe areas in terms of coronavirus.

These are Alipurduar, Coochbehar, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, East Burdwan and Jhargram. “The DMs of the districts under green zone too should be careful as there is no place for complacency,” she added.

Miss Banerjee today announced a new scheme named “Sneher Porosh” for migrant workers stranded in other states wherein Rs 1,000 would be provided to them online. She said that a protocol on health screening and medication would be issued for the migrant workers after they return to the state.

She said jute mills that are located in “red zones” will start operation with five per cent of their workforces. Meanwhile, hearing a PIL alleging that the state government is not following ICMR and WHO guidelines, the division bench of Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee of Calcutta High Court today said that the state should take a deeper look at the requirement of more samples being collected and subjected to tests on war-footing.

The court said it needs to be told by the state as to acceleration of the rate of sample collection and testing which is being obtained. The court directed the government to place a report on the safety of doctors,nurses, paramedical personnel and other health service oriented personnel.