Kolkata, Jul 8 (PTI) Lockdown will be imposed in containment zones in West Bengal for seven days from 5 pm Thursday to check the surge in novel coronavirus cases, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday.

The situation will be reviewed after the seven days and the next course of action will be decided, she said at the state secretariat here.

Also Read | Tamil Nadu Reports 3,756 New COVID-19 Cases, State Tally Rises to 1,22,350: Live News Breaking & Coronavirus Updates on July 8, 2020.

"This lockdown in containment zones in West Bengal will continue for seven days from 5 pm Thursday. Will review the situation after seven days and then decide next course of action on lockdown," the chief minister said.

If it is seen that the number of cases are coming down during this period, then some relaxations will be announced, Banerjee said.

Also Read | COVID-19 Recovery Rate in India Improves to 61.53%, Gap Between Recoveries And Active Cases Nearly 2 Lakh.

She urged people to maintain physical distance and wear face masks.

Banerjee directed the police to be strict with those violating norms and send back people home, if they are found without masks.

The West Bengal government had on Tuesday decided to expand the areas under lockdown and impose tougher restrictions from July 9 to stem the relentless spike in COVID-19 cases. PTI SCH SNS ANB ANB 07081752 NNNN league guidelines, players will be banned from spitting.

Teams can dress 26 players and choose from 31 players on an active roster. Non-baseball staff will wear masks.

In the Tokyo Dome, the local Yomiuri Giants faced the Hanshin Tigers. The orange seats in the dome were empty, save for messages in large, block letters across the seat that read: “Tokyo Pride” or “With Fans.”

The stadium in Yokohama, which is the venue for next year's Olympic baseball final, was typical of the atmosphere. Seats behind the plate and down the baselines were covered with 5,000 large panels, most carrying faces of fans with various goodwill messages.

“I have been waiting for such a long time,” a note on one panel read, written in Japanese.

Another said: “My heart is always here.”

Michael Peoples, an American who was scheduled to start for Yokohama on Saturday against Hiroshima, moved this season as a free agent from the Cleveland Indians organization.

“Obviously it's a new environment, but one thing I think I can speak volumes about,” Peoples said. “Even with the layoff we had and the rough times around the country — and all around the world — I know the support I felt and a bunch of other players have felt from the fans and staff has been unbelievable.”

Japan has recorded almost 1,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19. That compares to almost 120,000 in the United States, which has 2.6 times the population of Japan but about 120 times more deaths. AP

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)