Odisha govt aims to strike a balance between life, livelihood during COVID-19 crisis

Odisha government on Monday announced new guidelines as the state tries to reopen the state further as it recovers from coronavirus and cyclone Amphan. The State Secretary said that citizens will have to live with the virus but will have to be careful in everyday activities. 

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Odisha government announces guidelines

Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy was quoted by ANI as saying, "The government is systematically trying to balance between life and livelihood in this unprecedented crisis situation. The Chief Minister has said that the month of June is very crucial for us in the containment of COVID-19 as due to relaxation, more number of people will return from outside which may enhance the spread of coronavirus." 

"To date, 4,26,504 migrants have returned to the state. When more migrants would come, the positive cases might increase. Due to systematic efforts, the state is in a better situation at present," Tripathy added.

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Despite the Ministry of Home Affairs mandating a reduction in the night curfew time, the state government remarked that the movement of people shall continue to be restricted between 7 pm and 7 am except for essential services. The penalties for spitting in public and not wearing a mask have been beefed up whereby people shall be fined Rs 500 for the first and second violations and Rs 1000 for subsequent violations. Shutdown will be enforced in 11 districts- Ganjam, Puri, Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Bolangi on Saturdays and Sundays. 

"While hotels can function with 30% occupancy, shopping malls, cinema halls, gyms, swimming pools will not open in the state. People shall not be allowed to enter places of worship until June 30," he said.

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Moreover, outdoor activities would not be permitted for persons with co-morbidities, persons above 65 years old, pregnant women, and children below 10 years old. All the educational institutions in the state shall remain shut. Currently, there are 1948 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Odisha out of which 1126 patients have been discharged while 7 deaths have been reported. So far, 4,26,504 migrants have returned to the state. 

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