Dikhyaa Mohanty 
With the rising cases of the Covid-19 cases, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra announced a 15-day lockdown in Odisha from 5th May to 19th May to help to contain the spread and stabilize the virus situation.
The active cases now have been reached to 8,378 in Bhubaneswar after 809 Covid positive cases with one death recorded, now the death toll has risen to 266. Here are the services, utilities, commercial and Government establishments and facilities which remain closed and those which will be open during this period:
The following activities will remain prohibited:
- Buses for public transport.
- Intra-State movement of individuals by road, except for medical reasons or 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/ barbershop, 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 the 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.
Services or activities which are allowed-
- 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 support the provisioning of essential services or efforts for containment of COVID-19, including home care providers, diagnostics, and 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 the manufacture of ambulances.
- Movement (inter and Intra State, including by air) of all medical and veterinary personnel, scientists, nurses, para-medical staff. lab technicians, midwives and other hospital support services, including ambulances.
- Operations of Oil and Gas sector, including refining, transportation, distribution, storage and retail of products, e.g., petrol, diesel, kerosene, CNG, LPG, PNG etc.
- Generation, transmission and distribution of power at the State level.
- Postal services, including post offices.
- Operations of utilities in water, sanitation and waste management sectors, at municipal/ local body levels in State.
- Operation of utilities, including the movement of vehicles and personnel, providing telecommunications, DTH and internet services, including maintenance of telecom towers and recharge facilities for prepaid mobile connection.
During the Weekend shutdown, no restrictions shall apply to COVID testing and vaccination centres and movement of persons/ vehicles for COVID testing and vaccination shall be allowed.
Image Source – Google
