Bengal: The West Bengal state government on Saturday announced that a complete lockdown would be implemented in the state between May 16 and May 30. However, emergency services have been exempted and essential services have been allowed with some restrictions. In an order signed by the state chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the government said that the new restriction would come into effect from 6 am on May 16 and would remain in place until 6 pm on May 30. It also directed the state officials to ensure that the restrictions are strictly followed saying, “District administration, police commissioners and local authorities shall ensure strict compliance of the above-mentioned directives. Any violation of the aforesaid restriction measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005 and under Indian Penal Code.”

The new restrictions have been announced a day after the state reported its highest single-day spike of 20,846 new Covid-19 cases and 136 fatalities on Friday, a bulletin from the health department showed. With this, the cases tally in Bengal reached 1,094,802 while the death toll climbed to 12,993. Under the new restrictions, all educational institutions in the state would remain closed. Government and private organizations have also been ordered shut except those providing emergency and essential services like health care, courts, fire services, and funeral services. As is the case in many states currently under lockdown, Bengal has ordered all shopping complexes, malls, markets, spas, beauty parlours, cinema halls, restaurants, bars, sports complexes, gymnasiums, and swimming pools to remain closed during the period.