Restaurants In West Bengal Can Operate With 50% Capacity From 12 PM To 8 PM; Malls To Reopen

by Tania Tarafdar
Restaurants In West Bengal Can Operate With 50% Capacity From 12 PM To 8 PM; Malls To Reopen

According to a notice issued by the Government of West Bengal, certain lockdown-like restrictions will be in place in the state now to combat the spread of the virus. West Bengal government announced that the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in the state have been extended till July 1 to curb the spread of the virus. Parks will be allowed to remain open from 6 am to 9 am only for fully vaccinated residents. Restaurants and bars have also been allowed to operate between 12 pm to 8 pm with 50% seating. Malls can also operate with 30% capacity from 11 am to 6pm.

West Bengal Makes Negative RT-PCR Test Report Mandatory For Incoming Passengers From Flights & Trains

From May 7 onwards, all incoming passengers to West Bengal need to carry negative Covid test reports with them while travelling. This guideline comes a day before Mamata Banerjee’s swearing-in as the CM of the state for the third time. Further, notwithstanding such RT-PCR negative report, proper thermal and health screening of all passengers must be conducted by the airline’s staff before being allowed boarding. Accordingly, I would request that all airlines may kindly be issued suitable instructions.” Now, passengers arriving in West Bengal in trains and inter-state buses must also carry a negative RT-PCR report. The Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal issued an order stating that incoming passengers by inter-state buses and long-distance buses must mandatorily carry RT-PCR negative test reports.

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West Bengal Imposes Lockdown Like Restrictions; No Local Trains To Operate

Amid the second wave of the pandemic, West Bengal has issued fresh curbs to bring the cases under control. The prohibitions are as follows:

  • All shopping complexes, malls, beauty parlours, cinema halls, restaurants and bars, sports complexes, gyms, spas and swimming pools will remain closed.
  • All social, cultural, academic and entertainment-related gatherings and congregation will remain prohibited.
  • Bazaars and haats will remain open only between 7-10 AM and 3 to 5 PM
  • Home deliveries and online services will remain permitted.
  • Essential services like medical shops, medical equipment shops, grocery etc. will remain outside the confines of the embargo.
  • Private offices can operate with 50 percent capacity.
  • Jewellery shops can remain open from 12 AM to 3 PM.
  • Only 50 percent of buses and metro rails will operate.
  • Operations of all local trains will remain banned.
  • Banks will remain open from 10 AM to 2 PM.

Lockdown West Bengal

RT-PCR Report Mandatory In West Bengal From 8 States

Budget airline SpiceJet has issued a new guideline that has made RT-PCR COVID negative report mandatory for passengers coming to West Bengal from eight states, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The test report must be from an ICMR-approved lab issued within 72 hours from swab collection.

An Official Statement From Kolkata Airport

Taking to Twitter, Kolkata Airport wrote, “As per State Govt guidelines passengers coming to #KolkataAirport from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala & Telangana must carry RT PCR negative test report conducted within 72 hours before departure.”

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West Bengal Registered A Spike In Cases In The Last Few Days

The state also registered 20 fresh fatalities taking the death toll to 10,434. Kolkata too registered a record one-day spike of 1,271 coronavirus cases, while North 24 Parganas district reported 1,134 cases, the bulletin added. Eleven fresh fatalities were reported from Kolkata, followed by four from North 24 Parganas, two each from Howrah and Hooghly districts, and one in Paschim Bardhaman district.

Also read: Travelling To Delhi, West Bengal & Uttarakhand? COVID Negative Test Report Now Mandatory

Picture Credits: Twitter/Kolkata Airport

Several other states have made Covid negative reports mandatory for flyers coming from states reporting high cases. Here is a list of all the states that have mandated COVID negative certificates for incoming passengers.