Taking into account the COVID-19 situation in the state, on Friday the West Bengal government allowed banks to operate on Saturdays. On July 20, the government led by Mamata Banerjee suspended the operation of the banks on Saturdays in the eastern state. It should be noted that bank branches are closed on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, according to the Reserve Bank of India guidelines.
Now, in consideration of the current situation of COVID-19 and the relaxation in different activities allowed by the government outside the containment zones, it has been decided to rescind the effect of the aforementioned Notification (No 2259 F (P2) dated 20.07. 2020) with immediate effect, thus allowing all bank branches to operate on Saturdays thereafter, except the second and fourth Saturdays, which for so long had been observed as bank holidays prior to the issuance of the Notice dated 07.20. 2020, “the West Bengal government said in a statement on Friday.
The West Bengal government previously extended the blockade in the containment zones until September 30. There will be a complete lockdown in the state on September 7, September 11, and September 12. Following Unlock 4 guidelines issued by the Home Office, the West Bengal government earlier said that educational institutions – schools, colleges, training centers – will remain closed until the end of this month. Movie theaters will also be closed until the end of September. So are swimming pools and entertainment parks.
Open-air theaters are allowed from September 21. However, permission must be obtained from local authorities. The state government also allowed the subway rails to start on a limited basis as of September 8. Necessary regulations related to COVID-19 must be strictly followed.
More than 1.71 lakh people have tested positive for the new coronavirus in the state since the outbreak. The total number of active coronavirus cases rose to 24,039. The death toll from coronavirus also rose to 3,394, according to the date published by the Ministry of Family and Welfare. The COVID-19 recovery rate in West Bengal increased to 84.02 percent on Thursday. A total of 1,44,248 people so far have recovered from the disease in the state.
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