Lockdown in Odisha: Know What’s ALLOWED and What’s NOT

Bhubaneswar: Keeping the COVID cases escalating across Odisha in second wave of the pandemic in mind, the State Government today announced lockdown for a period of 14 days in all the districts.

The lockdown will remain in force with effect from May 5 till May 19, 2021.

The lockdown is primarily aimed at restricting movement of persons. However, movement of goods and goods carriers shall not be affected by the lockdown, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said today while announcing the 14-day lockdown in the State.

During the lockdown period, the following activities will remain prohibited:

• Buses for public transport
• Intra-State movement of individuals by road, except for medical reasons or for activities permitted under these guidelines
• All educational, training, coaching institutions, etc, except as allowed by Government. However, physical conduction of examinations by State/National/International bodies shall be allowed on a case to case basis by the respective Departments with due intimation to all concerned authorities.
• Exhibitions/Tradde Fairs/Melas/physical business to business meetings are prohibited. However, such activities may be taken up in virtual mode.
• Taxis (including auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws) and services of cab aggregators (except as specified in subsequent paragraphs of this order).
• All cinema halls, malls, market complexes, gyms, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, parks, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls, merry-go-round (doli)/meena bazaar and related activities and smiliar places.
• Jatra/opera/open air theatres shall not be allowed to operate.
• All salons/barber shop, spa, beauty parlour etc shall remain closed.
• All social/political/sports/entertainment/academic/cultural/religious functions/other gatherings.
• All religious places/places of worship shall be closed for public. However, religious rituals are allowed with bare minimum priests/servitors and staff. religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
• Marriages shall be permitted with approval from local authorities with no more than 50 persons and in case of funerals and last rites, the number of persons participating shall not be more than 20 (for the entire event) including hosts, guests, priests, and catering and other support staff. Under no circumstances, the number of participants shall exceed the ceiling for the entire event.

Marriage, funeral and last rites related gatherings shall be conducted as per the Government guidelines released vide Revenue and Disaster Management Department vide letter No. 2321/R&DM(DM) dt.30.04.2021

During the lockdown, the following activities are ALLOWED with effect from May 5, 2021 till 5.00 AM of May 19, 2021, subject to adherence of SOP for social distancing and COVID safety protocols, issued by the Government:

A. All Health Services (Including AYUSH) to remain functional such as:

• Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, telemedicine facilities.
• Dispensaries, chemists, pharmacies, all kinds of medicine shops including Jan Aushadhi Kendras and medical equipment shops.
• Medial laboratories and collection centres.
• Pharmaceutical and medical research labs, institutions carrying out COVID-19 related research.
• Veterinary hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, pathology labs, sale and supply of vaccine and medicine
• Authorised private establishments, which support the provisioning of essential services, or efforts for containment of COVID-19 including home care providers, diagnostics, supply chain firms serving hospitals.
• Manufacturing units of drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical services, medical oxygen, their packaging material, raw material and intermediates.
• Construction of medical/health infrastructure including manufacture of ambulances.
• Movement (inter and intra-State including by air) of all medical and veterinary personnel, scientists, nurses, para-medical staff, lab technicians, mid-wives and other hospital support services including ambulances.

B. Financial sector: Following to remain functional:

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and RBI related financial markets and entities like NCPL, CCIL, payment system operators, clearing houses and standalone primary dealers.
• Bank branches and ATMs, IT vendors for banking operations, banking correspondents, ATM operation and cash management agencies. However, banks shall operate as per guidelines to be issued by Finance Department.
• SEBI and capital and debt market services as notified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• IRDAI and Insurance companies.
• Non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs) including Housing Finance Company (HFCs) and Micro Finance Institutions with bare minimum staff.
• Co-operative Credit Societies.
• Efforts should be made to operate with most minimum staff. Staff should be encouraged to Work From Home wherever possible and feasible.

C. Public Utilities:

• Operation of oil, gas sector including refining, transportation, distribution, storage and retail products.
• Generation, transmission and distribution of power at State level.
• Postal services
• Operation of utilities in water, sanitation and waste management sectors at municipal, local body levels in State.
• Operation of utilities including movement of vehicles and personnel providing telecommunications, DTH and internet services.

D. Commercial and private establishments as listed below:

• Shops including ration shops under PDS and neighbourhood/roadside/street corner shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits, vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat, fish, animal feed and fodder, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, their transportation, warehousing and related activities.
• The shops will be operational on weekdays (Monday to Friday) between 6.00 AM and 12.00 PM. All shops shall maintain a minimum 30 feet distance.
• Restaurants and dhabas for Takeaway and Home delivery only.
• Home delivery by operators/online delivery of all goods/services by e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Blue Dart, DTDC, Big Basket, Grofers, Urban Clap, Zomato, Myntra, Swiggy, KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Uber Eats, etc.
• Retailers of food and grocery items such as Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh, OMFED, OPOLFED, Chilika Fresh, Spencers etc.
• Print, electronic and Web media
• IT and IT enabled services with a maximum of 50% staff.
• Data and Call centres.
• Telecommunications, internet services, broadcasting and cable services/DTH and optical fibre.
• Petrol pumps, LPG, petroleum and gas retail storage outlets.
• Power generation, transmission and distribution units and services.
• Government approved Common Service Centres and Gram Panchayat level.
• Cold storage and ware housing services including ports, airports, railway stations, container depots, individual units and other links in the logistics chain.
• Private Security services
• Hotels, home stays, lodges and motels which are accommodating tourists and persons stranded due to lockdown.
• Establishments earmarked for quarantine facilities.
• Services provided by self-employed persons, such as electricians, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics and carpenters.
• Shops that repair electrical and electronic appliances.
• Shops dealing in construction equipment.
• Shops of educational books for students.
• Newspaper delivery will be allowed between 5.00 AM and 8.00 AM.