No night curfew on New Year’s Eve: West Bengal govt

Kolkata, Dec 31: Night curfew wouldn't be imposed anywhere in West Bengal on New Year's Eve, state's Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said on Wednesday.

"Here, the celebrations are not so cheerful. So, we don't need to impose curfew but there will be strict vigil throughout the night," he added.

The senior official advised people not to "mingle in the public without masks and avoid crowds as much as possible".

Earlier in the day, the state health department confirmed that one patient in the city was found to have the new strain.

The comments came a day after the Calcutta High Court set guidelines for preventing large congregations for New Year celebrations and directed the state government and the police to ensure they are followed.

The judges told the police to identify the areas where large crowds might gather, and distribute masks, sanitisers at check-posts.

On the other hand, metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru have permitted no celebratory events, congregations and gatherings at public places from 11 pm of December 31 to 6 am on January 1, 2021.