In an effort to rein in the rising Covid graph, the East Burdwan district administration on Friday imposed restrictions on shops and market places and ordered shopkeepers on either side of the town’s main thoroughfares to operate on alternative days.

The order would come into effect from Saturday morning for all shops and markets in Burdwan town to ensure that 50 per cent of shops in the town operated on a single day.

The decision has been taken following a huge spike in Covid cases in the district, along with other places of the state, following a meeting headed by subdivisional officer (Sadar) Tirthankar Biswas.

“As per a recent spike in Covid cases we conducted a meeting with traders’ bodies and decided to keep shops open on alternative days. Roadside shops would open on alternative days and restrictions have been put in place for markets too.

The order would be in action till the situation comes under control,” said Biswas, the SDO (sadar) of East Burdwan.
Burdwan district reported 512 Covid positive cases on Friday and 172 cases were reported only from the areas of Burdwan town.

As per the directions, all shops on the left side of GT Road stretching from Ullas to Nawabhat will remain closed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and those on the right side would be shut on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The direction is the same for other shops on BC Road, RB Ghosh Road and BB Ghosh Road. Apart from shops selling vegetables and other edible items, all shops will remain closed. The order, however, will not be applicable for emergency services like medicine shops.

Senior officials said the administration would sit with traders on Monday to discuss shifting several markets from congested areas of the town.

“There was no option apart from taking such steps as the rush in the town could not be controlled despite several efforts,” said a police officer.