Covid-19 curbs: West Bengal shuts schools, colleges; offices allowed with 50 per cent workforce

Mamata Banerjee. File Pic

The West Bengal government brought back stricter Covid-related restrictions amid a steep rise in cases, shutting all educational institutions from January 3 and allowing offices to operate with 50 per cent workforce.

At a press conference, Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi announced that only essential services will be permitted between 10 pm and 5 am in the state. Local trains would be allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity till 7 pm, while all shopping malls and markets would be allowed to remain open till 10 pm but with half their capacities, he said. Long-distance trains will operate as per their usual schedule.

Metro trains in Kolkata will also operate as per their usual timing but with 50 per cent capacity. All tourist attractions, including the zoos, would remain closed. Besides, swimming pools, parlours, spa, wellness centres and gyms were also told to shut down, he added. Cinema halls and theatres have been allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity. Meetings and conferences have been allowed with a maximum of 200 people at a time or 50 per cent capacity of the hall, whichever is lower.

Bars and restaurants were allowed to remain open with 50 per cent capacity till 10 pm, while home delivery of food and other essential products was permitted as per usual operational hours. Not more than 50 persons shall be allowed in weddings, and only 20 persons will be allowed during funeral and burial services, the chief secretary said.

The state government asked the management of industries, factories, mills, tea gardens and other commercial establishments to ensure strict compliance with the guidelines.

Flights from Delhi, Mumbai to be restricted

The West Bengal government said that it would restrict flights from New Delhi and Mumbai, the two cities witnessing the largest surge in Covid-19 infections in recent weeks, to just twice a week in a measure to combat the spread of the pandemic in the state.

Travel agents believe this will cause a spike in air fares besides placing many fliers' travel plans in jeopardy. West Bengal chief secretary HK Dwivedi said that starting January 5 flights from these two metros will be allowed only on Mondays and Fridays till a decision is taken after reviewing the pandemic situation. The top state bureaucrat also said that from Monday the government has decided to temporarily suspend direct flights from the UK where Omicron variant of the coronavirus is creating new records infecting thousands, as a part of its restriction programmes.

"Flights from New Delhi and Mumbai will ply only twice a week. As a part of the restrictions, flights from these two places will be allowed to come to Bengal only on Mondays and Fridays," Dwivedi said while holding a virtual press conference on Sunday. Dwivedi said that rapid antigen tests have been made "mandatory" for passengers coming from non-at risk countries. "We have temporarily suspended flights from the UK. And for passengers coming from other non-risk countries, we have made rapid antigen tests mandatory.

If found positive then the concerned person will have to undergo RTPCR tests. This will come into force from tomorrow," he said. The Bengal government had on Thursday sent a letter to the union aviation ministry regarding its decision on temporarily suspending direct flights from the UK. Calcutta has only one, once a week flight connection with the UK which is operated by Air India. Travel agents said the sudden decision would mean a spike in ticket prices. Krishna Ghosh, director of a Delhi-based travel firm GlobeAir, said "prices on the Delhi-Calcutta route average about Rs 6,000 one way now, this is sure to escalate to over Rs 10,000 one way."

Eastern India Chairman of Travel Agents of India (TAFI) Anil Punjabi said the government should bring in testing of all domestic sector passengers on arrival. Airport officials, who did not wish to be named, said the government's decision would only add to the woes of the passengers planning to fly to the state from these two metropolises. "It will be a problem for all those passengers who already have their tickets to come to Bengal from New Delhi and Mumbai. Either they have to take another route to come here or reschedule their itinerary," the official told PTI.

Travel agents said many of those coming to Kolkata from abroad anyway routed their flight schedules through other cities and added "domestic fliers too would follow suit." The Chief Secretary, however, said that there is no ban on passengers from the UK to enter the state through other corridors using other means of travelling. "They can take other routes (domestic flights or trains) to come to Bengal," he said.

West Bengal on January 1 reported 4,512 fresh Covid-19 cases, 1,061 more than the previous day, with Kolkata accounting for 2,398 new cases, as per the state health department.

Also Read: 138 Omicron cases at Delhi's LNJP Hospital in one month, 95 pc recovered

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