Bhubaneswar senior citizens get exclusive time in parks

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has reopened public parks in the Odisha capital and reserved a two-hour slot in the morning exclusively for senior citizens.

People aged 60 years and above will be allowed in the parks only between 5 am and 7 am, as they are vulnerable to novel coronavirus infection, according to a BMC order issued on Wednesday.

All other age groups are prohibited during this time slot, the order said.

The parks will remain open from 5 am to 10 am and from 4 pm to 6 pm on the five weekdays, it said.

The BMC requested all the visitors to wear marks and maintain at least two-metre social distancing in the parks.

The parks in Bhubaneswar and other parts of the state remained closed for the public since the imposition of the first phase of lockdown in Odisha on March 22.

The state government had on June 1 advised people above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbid conditions, pregnant women and children below 10 years of age to avoid outdoor movement except for essential work till June 30.

(Representative image - PTI)