West Bengal today recorded 2,434 fresh cases and 46 deaths, which is the highest till now, with Kolkata alone recording 750 fresh cases and 16 deaths.

Till now, 67,692 people have been detected Covid positive in the state and the death toll has risen to 1,536. Currently, there are 19,900 active cases. A total of 46,256 patients have recovered till now with 2,140 patients being discharged from hospitals in a single day.

The discharge rate has improved to 68.33 per cent. The occupancy rate in Covid beds stood at 40.15 per cent and 1,474 people are staying in 106 safe homes.

The state government today notified the seven days in August ~ 5th (Wednesday), 8th (Saturday), 16th (Sunday), 17th (Monday), 23rd (Sunday), 24th (Monday) and 31st (Monday) ~ for the bi-weekly statewide complete lockdown. All government and private offices, commercial establishments, public and private transport including train and flight movements will be shut down completely, said the notification issued by state chief secretary Rajiva Sinha.

The sectors that have been excluded from the purview of the lockdown included health services, including movement of health personnel/patients by public transport; medicine and pharmacies; law and order, courts, correctional services, fire and emergency services; electricity, water and conservancy services; continuous process industries and industries with in-house workers; agriculture operations; tea garden operations in field; intrastate and interstate movement of goods; e-commerce, Capital and debt market services as notified by RBI; print, electronic media and social media and home delivery of cooked food.

The restrictions in the containment zones would continue till 31 August. Educational institutions; cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums and assembly halls; social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious functions and other large congregations will continue to remain closed or prohibited. Yoga institutes and gymnasiums outside the containment zones will be allowed to function from 5 August.