Bengal allows gyms to operate at 50% capacity, outdoor film shoots permitted

MP | 18 Jan 2022 | Kolkata: The state government further eased Covid-related curbs in Bengal and allowed gyms, jatras and outdoor film shootings with a few restrictions. 

A notification in this regard was issued by state Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi on Monday evening. 

According to the notification, gyms have been allowed to remain open with 50 per cent capacity at a time up to 9 pm provided staff and users are fully vaccinated or are RT-PCR negative. 

Moreover, jatras have been allowed in a very restricted manner up to 9 pm with 50 per cent of the capacity in an outdoor venue and in case of an indoor venue with a maximum of 200 people or 50 per cent of the capacity, whichever is lower. 

The state government has also permitted outdoor shootings for films and TV programmes provided physical distancing and Covid protocol are followed. "Wearing of masks, maintenance of physical distancing and health & hygiene protocol must be followed at all times," read the notification. 

Beauty parlours and salons, which were initially shut, have already been allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity. 

The state government had extended the existing Covid related relaxations till January 31. After a gap of 12 days, the state on Monday registered daily Covid infections below 10,000. There has been a substantial drop on Monday with 9,385 cases being reported while on Sunday the daily infection stood at 14,938. 

On Saturday, the daily infected cases remained at 19,064 while 22,645 cases were logged on Friday. 

The total number of infected cases reached 19,07,084 in Bengal so far out of which around 17,28,340 patients have been released from hospitals after recovery. The positivity rate also dropped to 26.43 percent on Monday while the figure stood at 27.73 percent on Sunday. 

The number of fatalities on Monday dropped to 33 from what remained at 36 on Sunday. The total death toll has gone up to 20,121 on Monday. 

The occupancy of Covid beds remained at around 6.38 percent on Monday while the fatality rate stood at 1.06 percent. The state registered the discharge rate at 90.63 percent on Monday. 

Meanwhile, the state on Monday administered 61,903 booster or precautionary doses of Covid vaccine on health professionals, frontline workers and senior citizens. 

As many as 1,03,968 doses have been administered to youths in the age group of 15-18 on Monday. Bengal has cumulatively administered over 11.48 crore doses so far since the immunisation drive began out of which around 8,78,341 doses were administered on Monday. 

Around 4,62,47,670 people in the state have received double doses so far while around 6,82,80,767 have got their first jab. 

Incidentally, the number of daily fresh cases in Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) area has come down significantly compared to last week's figures. 

This gives a sigh of relief for civic body officials. On Saturday, the number of new cases was around 800 which stood at around 550 on Sunday. Also, the number of micro-containment zones stood at 14, including eight in Salt Lake, till Sunday. Sanitising work has been going on in full swing across BMC areas. 

Though a safe home has been kept ready in Duttabad, no Covid infected residents approached the civic body to avail the facility till Monday. 

http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/bengal-allows-gyms-to-operate-at-50-capacity-outdoor-film-shoots-permitted-465440