Avoid gatherings, including events on Poila Baisakh: CS tells DMs

With a spike in Covid cases in the state, 10 district administrations where elections are already over in the first four phases, have been urged to request people to avoid gatherings for any programme, including the Bengali New Year, besides imposing micro-containment zones if necessary.

Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay on Monday held a video conference with District Magistrates of 10 districts, including Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram,

Howrah, Hooghly, East and West Midnapore.

According to Nabanna sources, he would be holding another video conference on Tuesday with the district authorities where the election is scheduled to take place in the next phases.

Sources said authorities of the 10 districts have been urged to request people to avoid gatherings on Poila Baisakh, the Bengali New Year.

It needs a mention that the Centre too proposed imposing micro-containment zones.

This comes when Bengal reported 4,511 Covid cases on Monday and 14 fresh deaths have been registered.

At the same time, stress has been given to ensure physical distancing, use of masks and hand sanitisers.

At the same time, the state government has ensured that there would be no dearth of Covishield vaccines as Bengal has received 4 lakh units of the same on Monday evening.

In the state government offices, there will be 50 per cent employees and sanitisation will be carried out as per the set norms.