HomeNewsIndiaWest Bengal COVID-19 lockdown: How to apply for e-pass in Kolkata

West Bengal COVID-19 lockdown: How to apply for e-pass in Kolkata

The Kolkata police have launched a dedicated website, where one can apply for an e-pass to commute during state-wide COVID-19 lockdown.

May 17, 2021 / 12:12 IST
Story continues below Advertisement
Streets in West Bengal were largely empty on May 16 as the 15-day COVID 19-induced lockdown came into effect in the state, with just a few vehicles seen ferrying essential items during the day. (Image: ANI)
Streets in West Bengal were largely empty on May 16 as the 15-day COVID 19-induced lockdown came into effect in the state, with just a few vehicles seen ferrying essential items during the day. (Image: ANI)

West Bengal is undergoing a 15-day COVID 19-induced lockdown to curb the spread of the virus infection. The lockdown, imposed from May 16, will continue till May 30.

During the lockdown, intra-state travel has been restricted, barring movement of emergency and essential services personnel

Story continues below Advertisement

According to the guidelines, movement of private vehicles, taxis and auto-rickshaws will be prohibited except to and from hospitals, diagnostic and vaccination centres, airports and media houses. Intra-state movement of trucks and goods carriers shall also be prohibited except relating to medical supplies, oxygen and essential food commodities.

Read | Lockdown in West Bengal till May 30: Check what's allowed, what's not

COVID-19 Vaccine
Frequently Asked Questions

View more

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.
View more
+ Show