Odisha district prohibits reopening of religious institutions till Dec 1

Berhampur: In view of possibility of second wave of COVID-19 in Odisha, Ganjam administration has decided to extend the closure of all religious places including temples till December 1, 2020.

The move has been taken as part of precautionary measures to curb reinfection due to Coronavirus in the district, which has registered 20,820 positive cases and 230 deaths so far.

Chairing a high-level meeting with district and block level officers through video conference today, Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange asked them to create awareness among people in the district.

In view of possible reinfection of the deadly virus in upcoming picnic season usually starts from December 1 with onset of winter, the administration has banned feast and playing music at all picnic spots in the districts. However, tourists can visit the sites and can enjoy the natural beauty of the places with strict adherence to COVID-19 norms.

The tehsildars have been instructed to monitor people’s activities at picnic spots to check the spread of virus. They have been asked to release a phone number through which the public can inform them about breach in COVID rules.

The drive against COVID-19 will continue in the district till people get COVID-19 vaccine and medicines for the virus, Kulange told the officials during meeting.

As per the decision, the government officials will spend 50% working hours at offices and remaining 50% hours in field visits to monitor all the development related projects.

The district administration has also decided to resume ‘Mo Gaon Re Tehsil’ programme in all villages for next 3 months for convenience of villagers to avail land related documents and others by collecting revenue. The villagers will be informed about specific date and timings for the programme.