Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik donates 3 months' salary to Coronavirus relief fund

Amid the growing cases of Coronavirus in the country which has affected the normal life of the citizens with poor suffering the most, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has donated his three months' salary to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to help those affected by Coronavirus.

Odisha Chief Minister's Office said, "Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has donated his three months' salary to Chief Minister's relief fund to help those affected by COVID19, reiterating that extraordinary circumstance demands an extraordinary response."

READ | 'India Has Tremendous Capacity': WHO Expects India To Lead The Fight Against Covid-19

'Donate generously'

The Chief Minister has also urged all the capable citizens to donate generously for the victims. Odisha government on Monday extended the lockdown from five to 14 districts as one of the preventive measures to arrest the spread of Coronavirus.

Following the footsteps of Delhi government, the Odisha administration has also decided to mark with stickers the houses of those who have been advised home quarantine.

READ | Coronavirus LIVE Updates: All Domestic Airlines Shut, 30 States & UTs Under Lockdown

Puri, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur. Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda districts are under lockdown from Tuesday morning till 9 pm on March 29.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday had urged people to stay at home and step out only for essential services. "If you go out — you risk bringing the virus to your family. The administration will take tough action on anyone violating this and risking their lives, their family members and people of Odisha," the Chief Minister said.

READ | BREAKTHROUGH: National Task Force Recommends Drug To Prevent COVID-19 For High-risk Cases

Besides Odisha, four other states have announced a lockdown till March 31 — Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Punjab.

As the country grapples with Coronavirus, 467 confirmed cases with 9 deaths have been reported in India, while 34 have been cured and discharged according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

On March 22, Janta Curfew was observed where people did not come on the road from 7 am to 9 pm. Currently, a total lockdown has been announced in 19 states and union territories. On the other hand, 6 states and union territories have placed only some areas under lockdown. On Monday, it was declared that domestic flights would also not be operational from midnight of March 24 until March 31.

READ | BREAKING: CM Uddhav Thackeray Announces Curfew In Maharashtra; Essential Services Exempted