Kolkata, March 24: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown in the entire state. West Bengal will be put under lockdown from 5 pm today till March 31 to avoid the spread of coronavirus. Earlier in the day, two more people with recent history of foreign travel tested positive for COVID-19, taking the number of confirmed cases in the state to eight. One death was also reported in the state. Coronavirus Outbreak: Mamata Banerjee Requests PM Narendra Modi to Stop All Flights From Landing in West Bengal With Immediate Effect.

Of the two, one had returned from the UK and another man from Egypt. They have been kept in the isolation ward of the Beliaghata Infectious Diseases hospital. The first medical examination conducted on them showed they were infected with the virus. Their samples have been sent for a second test and the results are awaited.

The state has been under partial lockdown since Sunday. Over 250 people were in Kolkata for defying the lockdown that began on Monday evening to prevent the spread of novel Coronavirus infection. People were also hauled up for taking part in gatherings on the roads of the city. DGCA Shares Social Distancing Guidelines For Airports And Airlines Amid Coronavirus Outbreak; Read Full Circular Issued by Regulatory Body.

Meanwhile, close to 500 positive cases of COVID-19 have been detected in India so far. Ten people also lost their lives due to the deadly virus. Maharashtra is the worst-hit state with over 100 cases. Three deaths were also reported in the state. Globally, more than 14,000 people lost their lives. Maximum number of deaths were reported in Italy, where over 6,000 people lost their lives due to the deadly virus.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 24, 2020 04:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).