Taking concern to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreading across India like a wildfire, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has now announced that the entire state will go on complete lockdown from 4 PM on Monday, until March 27.
In an order issued by the Health & Family Welfare Department under the West Bengal government, it was said that the measure was taken as it is "imperative to adopt social distancing and isolation measures across the identified urban and rural areas in the state of West Bengal".
The order was imposed under Section 2, 3 and 4 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, from which is framed the West Bengal Epidemic Disease, Covid-19 Regulations, 2020 for prevention and containment of coronavirus disease, 2019.
Only essential goods and services will be available during the lockdown, ranging from fuel derivates such as diesel, kerosene, naptha to solvent food items, medicine stores, and pathology labs. Citizens would also get access to ambulances, hospitals, government buses, and healthcare services. Besides these facilities, some grocery stores, vegetable markets, LPG stores, and fish markets will also remain functional, it is being expected.
However, authorities have said that citizens need not panic. Notably, interstate passenger transport, including buses and sub-urban rail services, have already been suspended till March 31 by the government. From March 21-31, no passenger buses will operate from other states to West Bengal, authorities have said. Copies of this order have been sent to the district magistrates, superintendents of police and regional transport officers in every district.
It is to be noted that train and metro services were notified for temporary suspension on Sunday itself. All long-distance mail, express, and passenger trains were suspended by Indian Railways. Therefore, the country is well on its way towards partial lockdown. However, only goods trains will be operational, authorities have said.
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