Bengal coronavirus updates: In order to limit the spread of coronavirus infections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced a total lockdown in the state on September 7, 11, and 12. “There would be a complete lockdown in the state on September 7, 11, and 12,” Banerjee said after a Cabinet meeting.

Also, she extended the restrictions on the reopening of educational institutions in the state. “Schools, colleges and other educational institutes would remain closed in the state till September 20. The other existing restrictions would be in place,” PTI quoted Banerjee as saying.

However, the chief minister announced several relaxations, including permission to resume flight operations from six COVID-19 hotspot states and resumption of Metro Rail services, though with strict adherence to social distancing and other precautionary norms. “We want Metro Rail services to be resumed by maintaining social distancing norms,” she said.

West Bengal had imposed a ban till August 31 on passenger flights to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Nagpur, and Ahmedabad to check the COVID-19 transmission in the state after these states/UTs reported a higher number of coronavirus cases. After the Cabinet meet on Wednesday, Banerjee also said the state will allow flight operations from COVID hotspot states. “We have received several requests to resume flight operations from six COVID hotspot states. So from September 1, flight services from these six states can resume thrice a week,” she said as reported by PTI.

West Bengal recently imposed twice a week complete lockdown in the state as the number of coronavirus cases continues to surge. As of August 26, the state has reported 144,801 COVID-19 cases; out of this, as many as 114,543 patients have been cured/ discharged from the hospitals, while 2,909 people have lost their lives due to complications related to coronavirus, according to data from the Union Health Ministry.