The civic authorities have decided to shut down markets in Bikramgarh and Bijoygarh in the Jadavpur area on Sunday to stop the gathering of people and to reduce the chances of the spread of Covid-19.

A decision was taken on Saturday after police and civic officials found that the crowd at these two markets — adjacent to South City and hemmed by several highrises — was not following distancing rules and some people were not even wearing masks.

“Bikramgarh market will remain closed on Sunday. We will open it on Monday for three days and again close it,” Tapan Dasgupta, local ward coordinator, said. “The market at Bijoygarh will remain closed on Sunday. Two people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the area.”

Late on Saturday afternoon, stall owners at these two markets and residents were told about the decision.

Senior officials of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation’s market division said they would decide if standalone shops in the area could operate between 6am and 1pm.

On Friday, civic officials had decided to shut down three markets in Ultadanga —Muchibazar, Kadapara and Joramandir — following a rise in the number of Covid-19 patients among stall owners.

Three markets in Jadavpur — Bijoygarh, Azadgarh and Bikramgarh — attract several hundred people every day. Residents of Jadavpur, Golf Green and Regent Park are regulars at these markets.

Bijoygarh featured on the new list of containment zones when the government decided to enforce strict lockdown from July 9. The market was shut and regulars started crowding the ones at Azadgarh and Bikramgarh.

“Bijoygarh was removed from the list a few days ago. The market was reopened. But some people refused to follow rules,” an officer of Jadavpur police station said. “We agreed to keep it closed on Sunday.”

The fear of the spread of the coronavirus in the Jadavpur area has left civic officials working overtime to find ways to control the crowd at markets.

Senior officials said eight people of a pharmacy shop in Regent Place had recently tested positive for the virus.

“We might have to keep stalls open on alternate days at these markets. Some steps are required to bring down the crowd count significantly,” Dasgupta said.