Bengal may impose fresh restrictions: CM has called a meeting tomorrow to finalise

SNS, KOLKATA,  1 JANUARY 22 : In the wake of a sharp rise in Covid cases wherein fresh cases have tripled in the last three days in Kolkata alone, the state government is likely to impose a set of fresh restrictions to control the spread of the virus from 3 January. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has called a meeting tomorrow to finalise the sectors wherein the restrictions would come into force.

To begin with, the Duare Sarkar outreach programme that was supposed to begin from tomorrow has been cancelled for the time being.

A government notification issued today read, "Duare Sarkar programme has been postponed for now and will be held subsequently. The dates for the same will be communicated in due course."

Next, the programme to distribute students credit cards that was scheduled on 3 January at Netaji Indoor Stadium has also been cancelled. Banerjee was supposed to address the programme.

The Calcutta High Court and district courts have decided to function in virtual mode from 3 January, with certain exceptions. During the day, state power minister, Aroop Biswas, was tested positive for the Covid and admitted to a private hospital. Dakshirieswar and Belur Math remain shut today.

Meanwhile, the state health department has issued a system alert involving hospitals, administration and police so as to plan necessary action if cases increase. Currently, the rate of hospitalisation is low but the health department is monitoring the situation closely so as to restrict the virus from spreading.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to declare micro-containment zones in places where four to five cases and a residential unit from where two or more cases are reported in two consecutive weeks and people living in these areas will not be allowed to step out.

Farad Hakim, KMC mayor, had told that 11 micro-containment zones have been identified in the city. KMC is finalising a list of containment and micro-containment zones after consultation with local authorities, housing societies, police, ward representatives and health officials.

Centre asks states to form spedal teams: 

Amid a nationwide scare over surge in Covid cases post Omicron variant, the Centre on Saturday asked States to set up makeshift hospitals and form special teams. As India reported 22,775 new infections over the past 24 hours, the authorities alerted around the country about the rising number of cases. The data indicates that thickly populated metros, such as the national capital New Delhi financial centre Mumbai and Kolkata, are seeing some of the sharpest rises.