Dhenkanal: Officials of the Dhenkanal district administration will be implementing weekend shutdowns till August 30 to prevent the spike of COVID-19 cases in Dhenkanal. The weekend shutdown will come into effect from August 1. The shutdown will be implemented under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, Disaster Management Act, 2005 and COVID-19 Regulations 2020, said District Collector Bhumesh Chandra Behera.
The restriction will be imposed on intra-district movement of both public and private transportations. Opening of shops and commercial establishments will not be allowed. The district administration has also instructed private and government organisations to remain closed during the weekends. Movement and gathering of people during the shutdown have been also banned.
Behera said, the shutdown was announced to take preventive measures such as active surveillance, contact tracing and implementation of social distancing to cut the tentacles of deadly virus.
During the shutdown, hospitals, nursing home, medicine stores, petrol pump, Print and Electronic media identified by the DIPRO/District Police, Central and state Government offices on emergency duty will remain open.
Any person violating the above will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 besides legal action under section 188 of the IPC and other legal provisions as applicable, officials said.
It should be stated here that in the last 24 hours, Dhenkanal district has reported 92 fresh positive coronavirus cases. It has prompted the authorities to go in for weekend shutdowns.
PNN