Here is what is allowed and not during lockdown till July 1

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday said partial lockdown will continue in the State for a period of another two weeks. Now the partial restrictions will remain in force in the state till July 1 morning.

During the partial lockdown, the shops in 17 districts under Category A where the positivity rate is 5% or less will open between 6.00 AM and 5.00 PM for essential commodities. The shops offering essentials services will open between 6.00 AM and 1.00 PM in the remaining 13 districts under Category B.

Western Odisha districts, where the cases were high during the initial period of the second wave, are now reporting a very low positivity rate. Therefore, little relaxation has been given in the districts, Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra said. 

Sundergarh, Ganjam, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Deogarh, Kalahandi, Sonepur, Koraput, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Boudh, Rayagada, Gajapati, Sambalpur, Bolangir and districts have been put under Category A.

The Category B districts are—Puri, Kendrapara, Khurda, Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, Angul, Cuttack, Boudh, Nayagarh and Mayurbhanj. 

In Category-A districts, the shops for essential goods will open from 6 AM to 5 PM while Category -B districts, the shops for essential goods will open from 6 AM to 1 PM, he said.

Marriages will be permitted with approval from local authorities with maximum 25 persons including hosts, guests and priests. In case of funerals and last rites, maximum 20 persons can attend.

No one could organise feasts in other social functions such as cremation and thread related ceremonies. The host could give food in packets in the takeaway manner, Mahapatra pointed out.

The state government has suspended the public transport by buses (inter-state and intra-state) till July 1.

Testing tracking and containment will be undertaken by local authorities.  While working on the containment framework the concerned authorities will carefully determine the area which shall be brought under micro-containment, said the guidelines issued by the government.  The local authorities will have to prepare strategy for clinical management and vaccination in those area.

The lockdown is primarily aimed at restricting movement of persons. Therefore, the movement of goods and goods carriers will not be affected by the lockdown.

Vaccination programme will continue as it is. Registered beneficiaries can move to vaccination centres on their own vehicle, taxi, auto rickshaws, etc. Persons desirous of required to undertake testing for Coved-19 will be allowed to travel to designated testing centres. 

The Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) department, district collectors and municipal commissioners have been asked facilitate alternative ways through call centre, IT solutions to ensure that such persons smoothly travel to and from the CVCs.

Intra-state movement of individuals by road except government permitted reasons.  All educational training coaching institutions etc will continue to remain closed down.

All kind of exhibitions, trade fairs, melas and physical Business to Business meetings have been prohibited. However, such activities may be taken up in virtual mode.

All cinema halls, malls, market complexes, jatra, opera, open air theatres, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, parks, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls, Merry-go-round (Doll) / Meena bazaar and related activities and similar places will continue to remain prohibited during the extended period.

Commercial establishments like salons/ barber shop spa beauty parlour etc will also remain prohibited. All social, political, sports and entertainment academic, cultural religious functions and other gatherings will not be allowed.

All religious places/ places of worship will remain closed for public. However religious rituals are allow with bare minimum priests/ servitors.

The government has also permitted some activities subject to adherence of Standard Operating Procedure (SoP).

All health services including AYUSH, nursing homes, telemedicine facilities dispensaries, chemists, pharmacies, medical equipment shops and labs to remain functional. Movement of personnel engaged in such facilities has been allowed, as per the guidelines, 

Financial institutions like Reserve Bank of India (RBI), payment system operators, clearing houses, bank branches, ATMs and cash arrangement agencies will continue to function. Public utility services including, oil , gas and telecommunication would also allowed during the period.

Restaurants and dhabas will operate for takeaway and home delivery only. Home delivery of e-commerce sites will also continue while hotels can operate for in-house guests only.

Hotels, home stays, lodges, electrical repairing shops, book shops, hardware shops dealing with construction materials, coldstorages, common service centres and private security service offices have been allowed to operate.

Movement of electricians, carpenters, plumbers, IT service providers and other self employed persons has been allowed by the government.  

Media organization will continue to function. But, the media persons may have to produce authorization from appropriate authority for their area of movement).

Garages and vehicle repairing shops have also allowed to operate during the period. All kind of agricultural and allied sector activities including selling of the produces will continue. Besides, industrial and construction activities will also continue during the lockdown.

There will be no restriction on all kind of agricultural, horticultural , fisheries and animal husbandry related activities.

Besides, railways stations, railway workshop, airports, ports and all industrial houses to function as it was during the prevailing lockdown restrictions.