Bengal allows business establishments to remain open till 10:30 pm
The West Bengal government on Friday allowed all shops and business establishments including bars and restaurants to remain open till usual working hours but not beyond 10:30 pm. The relaxation will come into effect from Monday onwards. The state administration had on Thursday extended the existing COVID-19 restrictions till August 31 and imposed the night curfew timings from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.
Theaters, auditoriums, swimming pools, stadiums to function with 50% capacity
Earlier the night curfew was imposed from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am. The state administration allowed outdoor government programs with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols. It also permitted theaters, auditoriums, and open-air theaters to operate with 50% of their respective seating capacities. "Stadiums and swimming pools may remain open with 50% of their respective capacity at a time," the state administration's order stated.
COVID-19 restrictions have been extended
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced the extension of COVID-19 restrictions along with night curfew relaxations on Thursday. A decision in this regard was taken following a review of the prevailing situation by the executive committee of the state disaster management authority.
North 24 Parganas district recorded highest number of new cases
Meanwhile, the state's COVID-19 tally rose to 15,37,185 as 739 more people tested positive for the infection, while eight fresh fatalities pushed its coronavirus death toll to 18,276. North 24 Parganas district recorded the highest number of new cases at 89, followed by 88 in Kolkata. North 24 Parganas also registered the highest number of fresh fatalities at four, followed by three in Kolkata.
Recovery rate in Bengal has improved to 98.15%
The state now has 10,109 active COVID-19 cases, while 749 more people were cured of the disease, taking the total number of recoveries to 15,08,800, the health bulletin said, adding that the recovery rate has improved to 98.15%. West Bengal has tested over 1.63 lakh samples for COVID-19 thus far, including 45,442 in the last 24 hours.
State government to release 73 life convicts on humanitarian grounds
Meanwhile, to de-congest the prisons, Banerjee announced on Thursday that her government will release 73 life convicts. Notably, on August 2, she had announced to prematurely release 63 life convicts on humanitarian grounds.
