Bhubaneswar: As Covid-19 cases continue to remain high in some districts of Odisha, the government Wednesday extended the partial lockdown in the state for 15 more days till 5.00am July 16. Giving this information, Chief Secretary SC Mahapatra said that while extending partial lockdown an effort has been made to strike a balance between life and livelihood.
The state government has divided the 30 districts in Odisha into two categories, ‘A’ and ‘B’. The districts where the test positivity rate (TPR) is less than five per cent are in ‘A’ category, while the remaining 10 coastal districts, where the number of cases is high, are in ‘B’ category, informed Mahapatra.
The districts in ‘Category A’ are: Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Nuapada, Sonepur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Angul, Dhenkanal and Keonjhar. The districts in ‘Category B’ are: Nayagarh, Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj.
There will be no weekend shutdown in districts falling in Category A. Shops will remain open from 6.00am to 6.00pm. Buses will be allowed to ply with passengers up to the seating capacity. Also taxis and auto-rickshaws will be allowed to operate with a maximum of two passengers.
In the ‘A’ category districts, daily markets and small salons will be allowed to open. Outdoor and indoor shooting of films and TV serials have also been permitted in these districts, informed the chief secretary.
In the ‘B’ category districts, the existing restrictions including weekend shutdowns will continue.
Night curfew from 6.00pm to 6.00am shall remain in force across the state but people and services in essential and emergency segments will be permitted to function during the restricted hours, Mahapatra informed.
Religious places, educational institutions and cinema halls shall continue to remain closed in the state. The ban on public gatherings, trade fairs, exhibitions, theatre and jatra will continue. Restrictions on weddings and funerals shall also continue as implemented earlier. Economic activities will also continue in the state. All other restrictions will continue till July 16, Mahapatra said.
The lockdown was first imposed last May 5 following the resurgence of Covid-19 cases. Since then it has been extended a number of times with partial relaxation of restrictions.