West Bengal: Complete lockdown in containment zones, buffer zones of Kolkata, South 24 Parganas from July 9

The West Bengal government on Tuesday decided to impose strict lockdown in COVID-19 affected areas by clubbing together containment zones and buffer zones near them from July 9 as the number of cases continues to rise in the state. 

Officials said containment zones and buffer zones around them will be clubbed together and will be put under a total lockdown from 5 pm on Thursday.

All private and government offices will remain closed in the area and only essential services will be available. 

Transport services will also remain suspended. 

"These broader containment zones may be subjected to strict lockdown and all offices, government and private, all non-essential activities, congregations, transportations and all marketing, industrial and trading activities be closed," according to an order issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

The order has not said how long the lockdown will last. The current phase of lockdown, which is limited to containment zones, is in force till July 31.

Hers is a list of containment zones in Kolkata and South 24 Parganas district:

#Thread: Updating list of containment zones in West Bengal.
Kolkata has 33 Containment Zones. pic.twitter.com/KZMEwdHF1g

— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) July 7, 2020

Updated list of containment zones in South 24 Parganas district. (2/5) pic.twitter.com/aQ8GIvXdYQ

— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) July 7, 2020

The total number of coronavirus cases in West Bengal reached 23,837 on Tuesday, out of which 7,243 are active cases. 850 patients have succumbed to the infection in the state, as per the date provided by the state.