Kolkata, Aug 31 (UNI) West Bengal is observing complete lockdown for the sixth day today this month as part of the bi-weekly lockdown imposed across the state since July 23 to break the Covid-19 pandemic chain even as the toll rose to 3176 with the death of 50 persons on Sunday, while the tally touched 1,59,785 with 3,019 new confirmed cases
Life came to a standstill with the streets wearing a deserted look, shops downing shutters, banks remaining closed, flights remaining suspended and vehicles going off the roads.
Today is the ninth day of total lockdown in the state and sixth this month after July 23, 25, 29, August 05, 08, 20, 21, 27 and 31.
The state will witness complete lockdown again on September 07, 11 and 12.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that West Bengal will also go under complete lockdown on September 7, 11 and 12 to break the pandemic chain.
Educational institution will remain closed till September 20.
Incoming flight operations from the six hotspot cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Ahmadabad and Nagpur to Kolkata remained suspended from these six cities till August 31.
However, direct flights to Kolkata from six COVID hotspots will resume from next month.
Flights from these places will be allowed thrice a week from next month.
The embargo was till August 31 on incoming flights from six cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chennai, and Nagpur.
However, no flights are operational today and will not be operational to and from Kolkata on September 7, 11, and 12 when the state will be under total lockdown.
Kolkata Airport authorities tweeted, ” Flights from six cities viz Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Nagpur will be allowed in a limited manner from September. They will be allowed on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday during 1st and 2nd week of September and Monday, Wednesday and Friday during 3rd and 4th week of September. Passengers are requested to check further schedule with the concerned and respective Airlines. “
However, the essential services have been exempted from the purview of lockdown.
Medical outlets remained open during the lockdown, while all other shops were closed across the state.
All the government and private offices, commercial establishments also remained shut.
All the public and private transport too went off the roads.
However, Petrol pumps are allowed to function on the days of complete lockdown.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 toll in Bengal rose to 3,176 with the death of 50 persons on Sunday, while the tally touched 1,59,785 with 3,019 new confirmed cases.
According to the latest State Government Health bulletin, the active cases accounted for 25,657, while the number of discharged stood at 1,30,952.
The percentage of discharged rose to 81.96 per cent.
The bulletin said the total number of samples tested stood at 18,45,396 with 43,436 tested till yesterday.
While the city recorded the highest number of 1280 deaths so far, surrounding districts of North 24 Parganas and Howrah came second and third respectively with 726 and 366 fatalities.
South 24 Parganas accounted for 197 deaths, the toll in Hooghly stood at 130, Darjeeling 75, Paschim and Purba Midnapore 41 and 59 respectively, Malda 39, Murshidabad 39, Nadia 37, Paschim Bardhaman 30, Purba Bardhaman 18, Jalpaiguri 34, Uttar Dinajpur 20, Dakshin Dinajpur 25, Birbhum 14, Alipurduar 11, Kalimpong 3, CoochBehar 9, Purulia 2, Jhargram 2 and Bankura 16.