In a bid to tackle the recent spike in the number of Coronavirus cases, Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government on Monday announced a complete lockdown across the state for two days every week. The first shut down of the weekly shutdown in the state will be on July 23 and July 25. ALSO WATCH | Coronavirus: Uttar Pradesh Government Allows Home Isolation For Asymptomatic Patients
Holding a press conference, West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said that complete lockdown will be enforced across West Bengal on Thursday and Saturday this week.
"We have decided that from now onwards, there will be a two-day complete lockdown every week across the state, apart from running a broad-based containment zone approach. In the current week, it will be on Thursday and Saturday," said Bandopadhyay.
Bandopadhyay said that the containment zone-based Covid-19 lockdown strategy would continue across the state till July 31.
"An advisory has already been issued in that particular direction, alerting all district magistrates, police superintendents and other top brass of the state administration. They may take a view on continuing the lockdown depending on the local situation in their respective areas. They can do it for five to seven days," he said, adding that a total state-wide lockdown would be observed on Wednesday next week.
Meanwhile, as per the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India's Covid-19 case tally crosses 11 lakh mark with the highest single-day spike of 40,425 new cases & 681 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.
So far as many as 1,40,47,908 samples have been tested for Covid-19 up to 19th July. Of these 2,56,039 were tested yesterday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.
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