Coronavirus outbreak: WB govt's new lockdown guidelines help containment zones to shrink

Kolkata, May 19: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that containment zones in the state would shrink in size to offer relaxation to more people as the government is all set to divide the containment zones into three categories.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also allowed a slew of new relaxations, paving the path towards restoring normalcy.

According to the state government, the containment zones would be split into A, B, and C. These refer to the affected area, buffer zone and clean areas, respectively. Lockdown is expected to remain in force in containment zone A, while in B there would be certain restrictions. Meanwhile, normal activities would be allowed in zone C.

Mamata Banerjee also said all shops, except for those in areas classified as Containment Zone A, will open from May 21, these include salons and beauty parlours.

According to reports, the state had 612 containment zones till May 18, 339 of which were in Kolkata alone, with another 114 in North 24-Parganas and 76 in Howrah district.

Banerjee also said that the government was not announcing curfew from 7 pm to 7 am, as it has been declared by the Union government, but requested people not to gather after 7 pm.

"We are not announcing a curfew because it sounds bad but we urge you to avoid gathering and ensure that the police do not need to slap cases on you. The police will act if gatherings take place," she said.

Reacting to the case of more than 350 nurses from private COVID-19 hospitals returning to their home states, Banerjee said the government would be working with the hospitals to find a solution and see if unskilled people can be taken and trained to do basic jobs.