The West Bengal government has requested the railway ministry to stop all trains from entering the state till March 31 to shield the state from any potential carriers of Covid-19 from outside.

The state also put a ban on interstate bus movement to contain the outbreak of the disease on Saturday.

“Considering the emergent situation developing due to spread of Novel Coronavirus, you are requested to ensure that no trains from outside the state of West Bengal enter West Bengal from midnight of March 22, onwards till March 31,” said a letter written by the chief secretary Rajiva Sinha.

The letter tagged as ‘most urgent and immediate’ was sent to the chairman of the railway board on Saturday. The state has already imposed stringent restrictions on public gatherings and crowding in the state

The Indian Railways has already stopped a few thousand trains on March 22 in an attempt to ensure that people follow the ‘Janta Curfew’ announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The railways announced on Saturday that 12 passengers who travelled on its network in the last 7-8 days have tested positive for the disease triggering concern about possible community transmission.

The national transporter has also announced the cancellation of several trains and cut down on the frequency of a few others in the wake of the disease.

Till Saturday three persons have tested positive of coronavirus in Bengal and around 21,000 people have been kept under surveillance in homes and hospitals