14-Day Odisha Lockdown Comes into Effect: Know the Activities Allowed and Restricted

Bhubaneswar: The 14-day Odisha lockdown has come into effect from 5 am today and will remain in force till 5 am May 19.
The Odisha Government imposed the statewide lockdown to contain the pandemic.

The Government has relaxed the norms imposed on the movement of vehicles during the lockdown to facilitate smooth movement of people for vaccination, COVID-19 testing and certain other purposes.

Vehicles can travel to and from one’s place of residence to Covid testing centres, vaccination centres, airport/railway stations, emergency medical requirements, wedding, funeral/last rites etc.

During lockdown period, following activities to remain prohibited:

• Weekly and daily ‘haats’ not allowed.
• All educational, training, coaching institutions, etc, except as allowed by the government. However, physical conduct of examinations by state/ national/ international bodies shall be allowed on a case to case basis by the respective departments with due intimation to all concerned authorities.
• Exhibitions/trade fairs/melas/physical business to business meetings are prohibited.
• 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 to remain closed.
• Jatra/opera/open-air theatres to remain closed.
• All salons/ barber shops, spa, beauty parlours etc will remain closed.
• All social/political/sports/entertainment/academic/cultural/religious functions/other gatherings.
• All religious places/ places of worship shall be closed for the public. However, religious rituals are allowed with bare minimum priests/ servitors and staff. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
• Buses for public transport. Intra-state movement of individuals by road, except for medical reasons.
• Marriages shall be permitted, with approval from local authorities, with not more than 50 persons and in case of 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. Under no circumstances, the number of participants shall exceed the ceiling for the entire event.

Following activities permitted during lockdown:

• Shops, including ration shops (under PDS) and neighbourhood/ roadside/ street corner shops, dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish, animal feed and fodder allowed to operate.
• Street corner/roadside shops/stand-alone shops dealing with food and essential items, vegetables, fish, meat, and eggs and milk are allowed to operate on weekdays (Monday to Friday) between 6 am to 12 noon.
• Restaurants and dhabas for takeaway and home delivery only.
• Newspaper delivery allowed between 5 am to 8 am.
• Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, telemedicine facilities allowed to open.
• Dispensaries, chemists, pharmacies, all kinds of medicine shops including Jan Aushadhi Kendras and medical equipment shops.
• Medical laboratories and collection centres.
• Pharmaceutical and medical research labs, institutions carrying out COVID-19 related research.
• Veterinary Hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, pathology labs, sale and supply of vaccine and medicine.
• Authorised private establishments, which support the provisioning of essential services, or efforts for containment of COVID-19, including home care providers, diagnostics, supply chain firms serving hospitals.
• Manufacturing units of drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical oxygen, their packaging material, raw material and intermediates.
• Construction of medical/ health infrastructure including manufacture of ambulances. Movement (inter and intra state, including by air) of all medical and veterinary personnel, Scientists, nurses, para-medical staff. lab technicians, mid-wives and other hospital support services, including ambulances.