The West Bengal government on Thursday extended existing Covid-19 restrictions in the state till August 15 but also relaxed some curbs. The government allowed cinema halls, which were closed in April as the second Covid wave swept the country, to reopen at 50 per cent seating capacity. The state administration said government programmes at indoor facilities could now take place with 50 per cent seating capacity. Buses, taxis, and autorickshaws have been permitted to operate with 50 per cent capacity, while offices, both government and private, are allowed to function with half their manpower. All other restrictions imposed as per the last order on July 14 have been extended till August 15. The government instructed all district administrations to ensure strict compliance with its directives on wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. “Any violation of the restriction measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and relevant sections of the IPC,” read the order. Meanwhile, West Bengal’s daily Covid increase dropped to 766 on Thursday from 815 the previous day. The new cases took the Covid tally to 15,26,539, according to the bulletin released by the Health Department. The state has 11,300 active Covid cases. The Covid toll rose to 18,123 with 14 more patients succumbing to the virus in the last 24 hours. As many as 822 Covid patients were declared recovered, taking the overall tally to 14,97,116. Total 45,936 samples were tested since Wednesday, of which 1.67 per cent were positive.
