West Bengal on Sunday re-imposed certain Covid restrictions - closing of schools and colleges, and capping attendance at private and government offices at 50 per cent - in the light of a worrying increase in daily cases, including those of the Omicron variant.
A 10 pm - 5 am night curfew has been ordered, following in the footsteps of Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Only essential and emergency services can operate at this time, NDTV reports.
Starting tomorrow (Monday), schools, colleges and universities in Bengal will be closed, as will swimming pools, gyms, spas and beauty salons, and wellness centres.
"Government and private offices can work at 50 per cent capacity, with all administrative meetings to be conducted virtually," Bengal Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi said.
Work from home will be encouraged as much as possible.
Kolkata Metro services and local trains will also be capped at 50 per cent capacity, and the latter can run only till 7 pm. Long-distance trains, however, will be allowed to run normally.
Cinema halls, restaurants and bars can function at 50 per cent capacity and up to 10 pm. Shopping malls can stay open from 10 am to 5 pm, but crowds must be at 50 per cent.
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