Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government on Sunday announced a 14-day lockdown between May 5 and May 19 across the State.
The lockdown is primarily aimed at restricting movement of persons. Movement of goods and goods carriers shall not be affected by the lockdown, the Special Relief Commissioner’s office said.
During this period, subject to availability, vaccination shall continue in places as notified by H&FW Department from time to time. Eligible persons, as advised by the Department shall travel to the Covid Vaccination Centres (CVC) on their own. Such person(s) shall be allowed to travel to the designated CVCs in their vehicles/ taxis/ auto rickshaws by following guidelines to that effect. H&FW Department/ District Collectors/ Municipal Commissioners may facilitate alternative ways through Call Centres/ IT solutions to ensure that such persons smoothly travel to and from the CVCs.
Persons desirous of /required to undertake testing for Covid-19 shall be allowed to travel to designated Government/ Private Covid-19 Testing Centres in their vehicles/ taxis/ auto rickshaws by following guidelines to that effect.
During the lockdown period, the following activities will remain prohibited:
• Buses for public transport.
• Intra-State movement of individuals by road, except for medical reasons or for activities permitted under these guidelines.
• All educational, training, coaching institutions, etc., except as allowed by 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. However, such activities may be taken up in virtual mode.
• Taxis (including auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws) and services of cab aggregators (except as specified in subsequent paragraphs of this order).
• 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.
• Jatra/ opera/ open air theatres shall not be allowed to operate.
• All salons/ barber shop, spa, beauty parlour etc. shall remain prohibited.
• All social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions/ other gatherings.
• All religious places/ places of worship shall be closed for public. However religious rituals are allowed with bare minimum priests/ servitors and staff. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
• 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.
During the Lockdown, the following activities ARE ALLOWED
• All health services (including AYUSH) to remain functional, such as:
• Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, telemedicine facilities.
• 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.
Further, the Lockdown and Weekend Shutdown shall not be applicable to the election-related works such as movement of election-related personnel from their place of residence to place of training, disbursal, polling station and back, movement of election materials, movement of magistrates, election supervising officials and law & order personnel, candidates, authorized personnel including polling & counting agents and voters on the date of poll and conduct of poll and counting of votes, in respect of bye-election to the 110-Pipili Assembly Constituency.