COVID-19: Odisha Govt Restricts Congregation of People for Celebration of Festivals

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to contain spread of second wave of COVID-19, the Odisha Government has restricted congregation of people for celebration of the festivals like ‘Good Friday’, Easter, ‘Pana Sankranti’/ Jhamu Jatra, Danda Jatra and ‘Sriram Navami throughout the State.

The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) issued a fresh order in this regard on Friday.

During the religious events, people usually congregate and get in touch with each other. Such congregations have a potential to cause spread of the virus, the SRC said.

Congregation for celebration of the religious events and associated cultural congregations shall not be allowed in public throughout the state. However, rituals in temples, churches and at other places of worship will continue as usual with limited number of persons and strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols, the order said.

The SRC also urged the Collectors and Municipal Commissioners to impose appropriate restrictions on entry of devotees into churches, temples and other religious places to mark the occasions considering their local conditions. They have been asked to decide the number of persons to attend any such religious ritual / festival in their respective jurisdictions with strict adherence to COVID guidelines.

Persons found violating the order will be punished under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and other relevant laws, the official cautioned.