Bengal reported a massive spike in death rate due to corona infection in the 24 hours intervening Saturday and Sunday even as the State administration went about imposing a strict lockdown that saw multiple arrests and seizures of vehicles in Capital Kolkata and elsewhere.

The State reported 144 deaths crona deaths between Saturday and Sunday—the highest so far—as 19,511 people tested positive for the disease. This is the lowest single-day spike reported in the preceding 10 days, Health Department sources said.

While Kolkata reported 3,951 new cases with 30 deaths the North 24 Parganas adjoining the State Capital witnessed a record 35 deaths with 4,279 infections sources said on Sunday morning adding the number of active cases in Bengal stood at about 1.3 lakh.

Meanwhile, even as the police administration imposed strict lockdown all over the State 158 people were arrested in Kolkata under Pandemic laws for breaking the lockdown protocol. The police also seized 58 vehicles for violation of Government orders.

All government and private offices, shopping complexes, malls, spa, beauty salons, sports complexes, pubs, cinema halls have been asked to remain closed. Only emergency and essential services related to healthcare, law and order, courts, power, drinking water and media would function.

The lockdown started from 6 am on Sunday and was likely to continue at least till 6 pm on May 30.

The State Government has already postponed the Secondary (Class X) and Higher Secondary (Class XII) exams that were scheduled to take place in the month of June. “No secondary and higher secondary examinations will be held in June,” Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay said adding, “The future dates of the examinations will be notified” by the respective West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBSE) and West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education.