Odisha Unlock: Know What’s ALLOWED, What’s NOT

Bhubaneswar: In view of gradual decline in daily COVID-19 cases in Odisha, the State Government today announced to unlock in phases with effect from June 17.

As per fresh guidelines issued by the State Government, the partial lockdown against transmission of deadly infection will continue till 5.00 AM of July 1, 2021 from 5.00 AM of June 17.

During the partial lockdown, the shops in 17 districts  under Category A where the positivity rate is 5% or less will open between 6.00 AM and 5.00 PM for essential commodities. The shops offering essentials services will open between 6.00 AM and 1.00 PM in remaining 13 districts under Category B.

However, the weekend shutdown and night curfew will continue as before till July 1. 

Here’re the activities ALLOWED during Partial Lockdown in Odisha: 

1. All essential services, transport of goods, industrial activities, construction activities.
2. Hospitals, clinics, medicine stores and diagnostics centres. All healthcare services including AYUSH to remain functional
3. Veterinary hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, pathology labs, sale and supply of vaccine and medicines
4. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and its regulated financial markets and entities like NPCI, CCIL and payment system operators
5. All bank branches, banking and  ATM services
6. Movement of all medical and veterinary personnel by air to other states
7. Railway, airports, seaports to continue operation as per Centre’s guidelines
8. Postal services
9. The sweet shops (only parcel), cycle shops and  automobile repair shops. Street vending for Take Away allowed in all districts under Category A and B.
10. Morning walk, jogging, cycling (from 6.00 AM to 9.00 AM)
11. Movements allowed for COVID testing and vaccination
12. Agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry
13. Government and private offices will run with 50% employees capacity
14. Home delivery by operators/online delivery of all goods/services by e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Blue Dart, Big Basket, Zomato, Swiggy, KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Uber Eats etc.
15. Retailers of food and grocery items such as Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh, OMFED, OPOLFED, Chilika Fresh, Spencers etc. They are also allowed to provide home delivery services
16. Print, Electronic and web media (members of media houses may have to produce authorisation from their appropriate authorities specifically showing their areas of movement)
17. IT and IT enabled services with with a maximum of 50% staff
18. Data and Call centres with bare minimum staff
19. Telecommunications, internet services, broadcasting, cable services/DTH and optical fibre
20. Petrol pumps, LPG, petroleum and gas retail and storage outlets with home delivery
21. Power Generation, transmission and distribution units and services
22. Government approved common service centres at Gram Panchayat level
23. Cold storage and warehousing services including ports, airports, railway stations, container depots, individual units and other links in the logistic chains
24. Private security services and facilities management services for maintenance and upkeep of office and residential complexes
25. Hotels, home stays, lodges and motels, which are accommodating tourists and persons stranded due to lockdown, medical and emergency staff, air and sea crew
26. Services provided by self-employed persons i.e electrician, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics and carpenters etc
27. Shops that repair and service electrical and electronic appliances including fans, air coolers, water purifiers, ACs, mobile phones, computers and accessories etc
28. Shops of educational books for students
29. Newspaper delivery allowed between 5 AM and 9 AM.
30. Milk booths dealing in milk products and bread are allowed to operate within the stipulated time period.
31. Restaurants and dhabas for home delivery and take away services only
32. All Aahaar centres for take away service only
33. OLA and Uber services allowed only to transport to and from hospitals, airports and railway stations

Here’s activities NOT ALLOWED during lockdown: 

1. Parks and Gyms
2. All educational/training/coaching institutions. However, physical conduct of examinations by the State and Central agencies to be allowed on case to case basis by the respective departments with due intimation to all concerned authorities.
3. Shopping malls, showrooms dealing in garments
4. beauty parlours, salon, spa; cinema halls, multiplexes, bars, indoor amusement centres
5. Public transport system (buses and autorickshaw)
6. All types of sports, swimming pools
7. Jatra, opera and open air theatres
8. Indoor/Outdoor film shooting, TV soap shooting
9. Daily and weekly markets
10. The check posts bordering West Bengal and Chhattisgarh will remain sealed till further orders

The lockdown restrictions for marriage, cremation, meetings, social gatherings, opening of temples will continue as before.

During the weekend shutdown, all the shops and activities (except essential services — healthcare services, hospitals, clinics and medicine stores) will remain shut in the State.

The lockdown was clamped in all 30 districts on May 5 to contain spread of infection. It was extended thrice with slight relaxation in some districts as per decline in positive rate.

Currently, the positivity rate has dipped to 6 percent in Odisha. Accordingly, the districts been divided into two categories A and B. While 17 districts come under Category A included Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Kalahandi, Balangir, Nuapada, Sonepur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada, 13 districts — Khordha, Puri, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar — have been categories under B.

The districts under category B still report higher positivity rate for which the restrictions will remain in force with a partial relaxation allowing the essential activities till July 1, said Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra while announcing the unlock process in the State.

Briefing the presser, he urged people especially youngsters to remain indoor and strictly follow COVID appropriate behaviour to keep themselves safe from COVID infection.

“We can win the battle with strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Centre and State Government and vaccination as well,” Mohapatra added.