No local trains, air travel with only negative report: here’s the list of restrictions Mamata Banerjee announced

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced several measures for checking the spread of COVID-19, but added that there won’t be total lockdown. After holding a meeting with top officials of the state administration, here are the measures the CM announced today:

*No flight will be allowed to enter West Bengal (Kolkata, Bagdogra and Andal airports) from midnight May 7 without a COVID-19 negative test report for all passengers. [Certificates will be checked and if anyone needs to br quarantined, it must be done by Airport Authority of India]

*All local trains to remain suspended from tomorrow

*Metro Railway and state transport reduced to 50 per cent capacity

*50 per cent of staff to work in government and private offices

*Markets to remain open from 7-10 AM and from 5-7 PM (only jewellery shops to remain open from 12 noon to 3 PM)

*Banks to remain open from 10 AM to 2 PM

*Shopping malls, restaurants, bars, cinema halls, sports complex, swimming pools, gyms will continue to remain closed

*Social, cultural, political, academic, entertainment related gatherings prohibited

*No gathering of more than 50 persons, that too with permission, and maintaining physical distancing

*Inter-state trains, long distance trains too must have passengers with COVID-19 negative certificates.

Banerjee said that these measures are being followed to prevent the spread of the virus, but total lockdown can hamper the livelihood of people so that won’t be followed now. She said that 4-5 lakh people have come and spread COVID-19 in Bengal over the past few months, “but now we have to take care of things and improve the situation.” Banerjee said that the situation will continue to be reviewed regularly.