West Bengal shuts schools, gyms, spas, salons from January 3; offices to work at 50% capacity

Following in the footsteps of Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, a night curfew has been imposed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. During this time, only essential and emergency services are permitted to operate.

In the wake of a concerning spike in daily cases, including those of the Omicron variety, Bengal re-imposed several Covid restrictions on Sunday, including halting schools and colleges and banning attendance at private and government offices at 50%. Following in the footsteps of Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, a night curfew has been imposed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. During this time, only essential and emergency services are permitted to operate.

Schools, colleges, and universities throughout Bengal, as well as swimming pools, gyms, spas and beauty salons, and wellness centres, will be closed beginning Monday. Bengal Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi stated, "Government and private offices can run at 50% capacity, with all administrative meetings to be done remotely." Working from home will be promoted to the greatest extent possible.

Kolkata Metro services will be limited to 50% capacity, and local trains would only be able to run till 7 p.m. Long-distance trains, on the other hand, will be permitted to operate routinely. Up to 10 p.m., cinema halls, restaurants, and pubs can operate at 50% capacity. Malls can remain open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but crowds must be at least 50%. Weddings and other social, religious, and cultural events will be limited to 50 people, while funerals and burials will be limited to 20.

On Saturday, the state recorded 4,512 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of active cases in the state to 13,300, third most in the country after Maharashtra and Kerala. The Bengal government decided earlier this week to temporarily halt all direct flights from the United Kingdom to Kolkata, effective January 3, due to an increase in coronavirus cases.