Coronavirus: West Bengal announces lockdown
The order will remain in force till March 31, 2020
The West Bengal State government, on Saturday, ordered shutting down of all restaurants, pubs, bars, clubs, nightclubs, hookah bars, massage parlours, amusement parks, museums and zoos with effect from 0600 hours, March 22, 2020. The order will remain in force till March 31, 2020, reports The Hindu.
The move is to check "non-essential social gathering" which leads to spread of the virus from infected person to healthy person, a government circular said.
"It is also ordered that all gatherings, including social gatherings, should be avoided completely. In such cases also, the gathering should be reduced to the bare minimum to be kept very little so as to ensure proper social distancing. Strict legal action will be taken in case of any violation," the State government said.
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Board exams postponed
The ongoing Class 12 state board examinations in West Bengal have also been postponed till April 15 as a precautionary measure in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the higher education department announced on Saturday.
Addressing a press conference, West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee said the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) has been asked to postpone the examinations scheduled to be held on March 23, March 25 and March 27. These will now be held after April 15.
The higher education department will take the decision about conducting the examinations post reviewing the situation as per the advisory of the health department, he said.
