Bhubaneswar: As Covid-19 situation continues to worsen at an alarming pace, the Odisha government on Sunday announced 14-day lockdown in the state.
The lockdown will remain in force with effect from May 5 till May 19, 2021, informed the State Information & Public Relation Department today.
During the lockdown period, the persons can walk 500 meters between 7am and 12pm to buy vegetables. There are no restrictions on health care or other emergency services.
However, there shall be complete Shutdown on weekends, starting 6:00 PM of Fridays till 5:00 AM of Mondays.
During this period vaccination shall continue in places as notified by H&FW Department from time to time. Eligible persons are advised to travel to the Covid Vaccination Centres (CVC) on their own. They shall be allowed to travel to the designated CVCs in their vehicles/ taxis/ auto rickshaws by following guidelines to that effect.
The Lockdown and Weekend Shutdown shall not be applicable to the election-related works such as the movement of election-related personnel from their place of residence to place of training, disbursal, polling station and back, movement of election materials, movement of magistrates, election supervising officials and law & order personnel, candidates, authorized personnel including polling & counting agents and voters on the date of poll and conduct of poll and counting of votes, in respect of bye-election to the 110-PipiIi Assembly Constituency.
The following activities will remain prohibited:
- Buses for public
- Intra-State movement of individuals by road, except for medical reasons or for activities permitted.
- All educational, training, coaching institutions, etc., except as allowed by Government. However, physical conduct of examinations by state/ nationaI/ international bodies shall be allowed on a case to case basis by the respective Departments with due intimation to all concerned.
- Exhibitions/ Trade Fairs/ Melas/ physical Business to Business meetings are prohibited. However, such activities may be taken up in virtual mode.
- All cinema halls, malls, market complexes, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, parks, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls, Merry-go-round (Doli) / Meena bazaar and related activities and similar places.
- Jatra/ opera/ open air theatres shall not be allowed to operate.
- All salons/ barbershop. spa, beauty parlour etc shall remain prohibited.
- All social/political/sports/entertainment/ academic/cultural/religious functions/other gathering.
- All religious places/ places of worship shall be closed for public. However religious rituals are allowed with bare minimum servitors. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
- Marriages shall be permitted with approval from local authorities and with not more than 50 people and in case of funeral and last rites, people participating shall not be more than 20
Earlier, on April 20 the government had imposed weekend shutdown in all the urban areas in Odisha.
On Sunday morning, the State Health Department reported 8015 fresh cases, with the total number of active cases rises to 69,453 . Khordha district had the highest number of active cases (12,240), followed by Sundergarh (7,045 ).
Ms Kalinga AI