Odisha allows relaxations during weekend shutdown in 11 districts

The Odisha government, which has announced a weekend shutdown in 11 of its 30 districts till June-end to contain the spread of Covid-19, on Friday allowed some exemptions during the period in these heavy-load-case areas. All offices and shops will remain shut on Saturdays and Sundays in the 11 districts, while operations of airports, railway stations, bus terminals and movement of associated personnel and activities will be allowed, an order from the office of Special Relief Commissioner said.

Public transport will also be allowed to operate for  the convenience of people going to or coming from airports, railway stations and bus stands. Movement of any person in case of medical or other emergency is allowed, while ATMs and critical financial institutions like RBI and Clearing Houses will function, it said.

Similarly, home delivery of food by restaurants and aggregators such as Zomato and Swiggy and distribution of LPG cylinders will be permitted. The state government has ordered the weekend shutdown in those 11 districts, where a large number of migrants have returned from different parts of the country.

The shutdown will be enforced in Ganjam, Puri, Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Bolangir on all Saturdays and Sundays till June 30. The sectors coming under emergency and essential services category will be allowed to carry out activities during the 48-hour complete shutdown every week.