With Assembly election results announced in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the Chief Ministers of the respective States, Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin, are now in the saddle to confront the second Covid-19 wave.

West Bengal

In West Bengal, where a surge in cases is expected, the newly elected Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee faces the classic dillema: to go for a partial locakdown to save the economy or go in for a complete lockdown with the intent of saving lives.

Talking about the lockdown, the CM said: "There won't be a total lockdown. Emergency and essential services will be outside the purview of restrictions.”

The people coming into the State through flights, long distance trains and inter-state buses have to necessarily have negative RT-PCR test reports, the Chief Minister said.

The local trains have been suspended to make sure that movement of people is restricted. Additionally quarantine facilities have been arranged by the airport authorities.

Gathering for social and political purposes have been banned while some social gatherings are allowed provided special permission is sought and the curb on numbers followed.

Besides ensuring that the Government and private sector offices function with only 50 per cent strength, it also has decided to stagger timings for the markets, thus ensuring that lesser people are getting out of the house.

To cater to the needs of the people, stand-alone shops will open for three hours in the morning, that is from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and two hours in the evening, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The jewellery shops will function from noon to 3 pm.

Talking about people in the frontline of fighting the Covid-19, the CM said, "Transport workers, hawkers and journalists will get priority when it comes to vaccines.”

Following are some other restrictions in place.

• State transport to operate on 50 per cent capacity including metro.
• Shopping malls/complexes, swimming pools etc to remain shut.
• All retail outlets to follow the restricted timings of7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• To provide people with food items and other essential goods, online and home delivery will be encouraged.
• The hours of banks have been curtailed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Emergency and essential services, law and order, telecom to remain outside restriction purview.
• Sanitization of market places, educational institutions and offices has been made mandatory.
• To avoid contamination, museums, planetariums, zoos, national parks have been closed.

West Bengal according to official figures released on May 5 had 1,20,945 active cases with the total number of cases reaching 8,98,533.

Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu newly appointed Chief Minister,MK Stalin put in place new restrictions to cut down on the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Chief Minister of Tamili Nadu, MK Stalin

These restrictions will come in force from May 6 and will be on till May 20.

Following is the list of restrictions.

• Trains, Metro rail services, buses and taxis will ply with 50% passengers.
• Restaurants and tea stalls have been permitted to provide takeaways until 12 noon.
• Standalone grocery and vegetable stores can function till 12 noon. However, essential item shops, medical shops and milk depots can function as usual.
• Spas, gyms, malls, theatres and recreational centres to remain shut.
• All kinds of social, political, sports, educational, entertainment have been banned in this period while cinemas will also remain closed.
• Only 20 people will be allowed to attend funerals.
• Night lockdown from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and complete lockdown on Sunday shall continue till May 20.
• Fish, meat and poultry stalls will remain shut on Saturdays.
• Continuous Process Industries and Industries Manufacturing Essential Commodities, besides telecom companies can continue to operate during the night curfew.

The State recorded 21,228 positive cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, bringing the tally to 12,49,292.