Bengal restricts number of invitees to weddings to 50 as COVID cases rise

The West Bengal government on Saturday restricted the number of invitees to wedding ceremonies and family gatherings to 50 to check the surge in coronavirus cases, an official said. The state administration on Friday ordered shutdown of shopping malls, beauty parlours, restaurants, bars, sports complexes, gyms, spas and swimming pools and directed that markets would remain open for limited hours - from 7 am to 10 am and between 3 pm and 5 pm.

All "retail outlets providing services relating to healthcare, electricity, telecom, transport, grocery, sweetmeats, milk supply will remain outside the confines of the embargo", a government order said on Saturday.

"In continuation of yesterdays order, we have decided to restrict the number of invitees to 50 people at wedding ceremonies and family gatherings and they must wear masks, use sanitiser and maintain physical distance," the official said.


The state government earlier allowed 200 people in marriage ceremonies after the COVId-19 situation had improved in the state.

On Friday, the state also prohibited all forms of social, cultural, academic, entertainment-related gatherings.