Roads deserted as people in Bengal stay indoors on second day of weeklong lockdown

The containment zones, spread across 20 of the state's 23 districts, went into total lockdown from 5 pm on Thursday. Private and public vehicles remained off the roads in these areas while all business establishments, barring those dealing with essential commodities, stayed shut.

Vast swathes of West Bengal wore a deserted look on Friday as most people preferred to stay indoors on the second day of the seven-day lockdown clamped on the state's containment zones. The containment zones, spread across 20 of the state's 23 districts, went into total lockdown from 5 pm on Thursday.

Private and public vehicles remained off the roads in these areas while all business establishments, barring those dealing with essential commodities, stayed shut. Barricades were put up outside containment zones to restrict movement. Police patrol vehicles and those associated with emergency services were mostly the ones seen plying. In some areas, shops dealing with essentials were allowed to do business for just four hours.

Long queues of people were witnessed outside grocery stores and LPG outlets in the city and its adjoining areas. The state government has listed 25 containment zones in Kolkata, 93 in North 24 Parganas, 54 in South 24 Parganas and 56 in Howrah -- the top four hotspot districts.

Police resorted to mild force in some places to ensure that safety protocols were adhered to, and urged people through public address systems to remain indoors. Revising its earlier policy, the government has clubbed together containment zones and the buffer zones around them to constitute a 'broad-based' containment zone, where the total shutdown has been imposed, officials said.

West Bengal on Thursday registered the highest single-day spike of 1,088 COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 25,911. It has also reported 27 deaths, raising the toll to 854..