Bhubaneswar: With Covid-19 positivity rate witnessing a declining trend and in order to ease the day-to-day activities across the state, Odisha government Wednesday announced to withdraw lockdown restrictions in a phased manner.
According to official sources, essential services, transportation of goods, industrial activities and construction activities will now be allowed. However, public bus services will be restricted in the state.
Earlier imposed restrictions regarding marriage, cremation, meetings, social gatherings, opening of temples will remain in force as before. The shops and counters dealing with essential items and providing essential services will remain open from 6.00am to 5.00pm in 17 specified districts (grouped as ‘Category A’) and from 6.00am to 1.00pm in 13 districts (grouped as ‘Category B’), the official added.
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The ‘Category A’ districts include southern and western regions of Odisha, where Test Positivity Rate (TPR) is either five per cent or lesser. These 17 districts are: Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Nuapada, Subarnapur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada.
Moreover, residents of the 17 districts coming under ‘Category A’ have been allowed to take away packed food from street vendors.
Similarly, the ‘Category B’ includes 13 remaining districts which are having a comparatively higher positivity rate. These districts are Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar.
In addition, people will be allowed for physical fitness activities like morning walk and cycling. However, parks and gyms will continue to remain closed. Keeping in mind the livelihoods of milk farmers, the government decided to allow sweet shops to remain open, but the shopkeepers can only give parcels. Bicycle and automobile repair shops will also remain open, an official notification stated.
Notably, weekend shutdown will continue in all districts as before.
PNN