Bhubaneswar: Odisha government on Thursday issued a fresh guideline while extending the partial lockdown till August 1. This was informed by Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra.
As per the announcement, shops in the 20 Category A districts (Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Kalahandi, Balangir, Nuapada, Sonepur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, and Rayagada) of the State will remain open from 7 am to 8 pm. However, shops in Category B districts (Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Mayurbhanj) will open from 7 AM to 5 PM.
Apart from this, the State government has also relaxed certain things, however, has requested the people to follow the COVID guidelines.
Know what’s not allowed:
- All educational, training, coaching institutions, etc., except as allowed by Government.
- Exhibitions/ Trade Fairs/ Melas/ physical Business to Business meetings are prohibited. However, such activities may be taken up in virtual mode.
- All cinema halls, multiplexes, park/ entertainment park/ amusement park/ theme park/ water park/ indoor amusement centres, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls, Merry-go-round (Doli)/ Meena bazaar and related activities and similar places.
- All Malls shall remain closed.
- Government & Private swimming pools.
- Jatra/ opera/ open air theatres shall not be allowed to operate.
- All social/ political/sports/entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions/ other gatherings.
- All religious places/ places of worship shall be closed for public. However religious rituals are allowed with bare minimum priests/ servitors and staff. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
- All official meeting/ training etc. shall be allowed with participation of maximum 100 persons and Official programmes for inauguration, laying of foundation stone shall be allowed with participation of maximum 30 persons adhering to COVID- 19 protocols.
- Marriages shall be permitted, with approval from local authorities, with not more than 25 persons and in case of Thread Ceremony/ Bratopanayan, funerals and last rites, the number of persons participating shall not be more than 20 (for the entire event) including hosts, guests, priests and catering and other support staff with adherence of COVID-19 safety protocols.
- Thread ceremony/ bratopanayana and related rituals shall be celebrated only in the family. No outside guest shall be invited. No feast shall be served in the function. In case of all these functions, no community feast shall be organised nor shall any food be served in the venue. Only take away food shall be allowed to the Quests.
- Indoor & outdoor film shooting/ TV serial related shooting shall be allowed across the State observing COVID protocol.
Know what’s allowed:
- All types of shops in Category-A districts shall remain open from 6.00 AM to 8.00 PM every day. All types of Shops in Category-B districts shall remain open from 6.00 AM to 5.00 PM on weekdays. However, shops in Malls will remain closed.
- Home delivery by operators/ online delivery of all goods/ services by e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Blue Dart, DTDC, Big Basket, Grofers, Urban Clap, Zomato, Myntra, Swiggy, KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Uber Eats, etc.
- Retailers of food & grocery items such as Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh, OMFED, OPOLFED, Chilika Fresh, Spencers, etc. They are also allowed to provide home delivery services.
- Print, electronic and Web media (Members of media may have to produce authorisation from their appropriate authorities specifically showing their areas of movement.
- IT and IT enabled Services (ITeS) with a maximum of 50% staff (as far as possible to work from home).
- Data and Call Centres with bare minimum staff.
- Telecommunications, internet services, broadcasting and cable services/ DTH and optical fibre (on-line, virtual services shall be encouraged to be provided to consumers).
- Petrol pumps, LPG, Petroleum and gas retail and storage outlets along with home delivery.
- Power generation, transmission and distribution units and services.
- Government approved Common Service Centres (CSCs) in urban and rural areas.
- Cold storage and warehousing services, including at ports, airports, railway stations, container Depots, individual units and other links in the logistics chain. Private security services and facilities management services for maintenance and upkeep of office and residential complexes.
Hotels, home stays, Lodges and motels, which are accommodating tourists and persons stranded due to lockdown, medical and emergency staff, air and sea crew.
- Establishments used/ earmarked for quarantine facilities.
- Services provided by self-employed persons, e.g. electrician, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics, and carpenters etc.
- All spas, beauty parlour, barber shops shall be allowed to open subject to time schedule of Category-A & B districts.
- Restaurants and dhabas for home delivery and take away service only.
- All Aahaar Kendras for take away service only.
- The Collectors/ Municipal Commissioners shall make all efforts to disperse the vegetable/street vendors in such a manner so that appropriate social distancing shall be maintained.
- Morning walk, jogging and cycling are allowed.
- Two wheeler with pillion rider and four wheelers, auto rickshaws, taxis, including cabs/ auto rickshaws by aggregators like Ola, Uber etc. are allowed with driver plus up to two passengers in the back seat for all purposes.
- Gymnasiums shall be allowed to open within time schedule of Category-A & B districts observing COVID protocols.
- Outdoor games/sports are allowed without spectators.
- Intra-State public transport by buses shall remain functional with seating capacity only throughout the State. However, Public transport by buses to Puri Town shall remain suspended till midnight of 25th July, 2021.
Ms Kalinga