Ahead of the fifth phase of the assembly elections in the state, West Bengal reported 6,910 new COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths in the last 24 hours.
According to the state health bulletin, the total count of cases has reached 6,43,795. The number of active cases in the state stands at 41,047.
With 26 more deaths, the toll in West Bengal has reached 10,506.
The state reported 2,818 more recoveries in the last 24 hours taking the total recoveries to 5,92,242.
With the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, the Election Commission (EC) has decided to curtail the timing of the campaign for the remaining phases of election and extended the silence period to 72 hours for each of the phases.
In its order, the EC said that no rallies, public meetings, street plays, nukkad sabhas, shall be allowed on any day during the days of the campaign between 7 pm and 10 am.
The order has come into effect from 7 pm on Friday.
"Silence period for rallies, public meetings, street plays, nukkad sabha, bike rallies or any gathering for campaigning purposes shall be extended to 72 hours before the end of the poll for Phase 6, Phase 7 and Phase 8 in the State of West Bengal," it said.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) had requested clubbing all the upcoming phases.
A total of 45 constituencies across six districts - Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Purba Bardhaman - are going to the polls in the fifth phase.
( With inputs from ANI )
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