West Bengal announces 2-day weekly lockdown, informs of community COVID-19 spread

During a presser here at state secretariat Nabanna on Monday, Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said, "As we are suspecting that community transmission of Covid-19 has begun in some places in the state, our government today, following a high level meeting, has decided to enforce complete lockdown for two days every week, in addition to the running lockdown in broad-based containment zones."

"In the current week, complete lockdown will be enforced on Thursday (July 23) and Saturday (July 25), and in next week, Wednesday (July 29) while the second day next week will be announced on Monday (July 27)," Alapan Bandyopadhyay said.

"All government/private officers/establishments dealing with non-essential/non-emergency services, markets and shops selling non-essential products will be closed on those lockdown days while all transport services will be halted and non-essential movements will be restricted," Bandyopadhyay added.

Meanwhile, the state government informed that all banks in West Bengal will henceforth have five-day week (Monday to Friday) and to be closed on Saturdays and Sundays, while customer-services will be provided on five working days from 10 am. to 2 pm, instead of 10 am to 4 pm.

The government also shared integrated Covid-19 helpline numbers- 1800313444222 and 033-23412600.

For telemedicine support and ambulance, people of the state has been asked to contact these numbers- 033-23576001 (for telemedicine) and 033-40902929 (for ambulance).

For the past few days, West Bengal has been witnessing a spike of more than 2000 cases every day.