Partial Lockdown in Odisha: What’s OPEN, What’s CLOSED

Bhubaneswar: In view of gradual decline in positivity rate of COVID-19 in Odisha, the State Government allowed partial relaxation in public activities with effect from July 1 while extending the lockdown by another 15 days.

As per the fresh guidelines issued for the month of July, the partial lockdown against transmission of deadly virus will continue till 6.00 AM of July 16 from 5.00 AM of July 1.

As per the partial lockdown guidelines, all the shops, bus services and small salons will remain opened from 6.00 AM to 6.00 PM in 20 category-A districts where the COVID TPR is below 5%.

No weekend shutdown in category -A districts

Night curfew to remain in force throughout the State from 6.00 PM to 6.AM everyday.

In Category B districts, where the positivity rate is above 5%, the shops will remain opened between 6.00 AM and 2.00 PM. The outdoor shooting for films will be allowed in 10 category-B districts.

However, Weekend shutdown and night curfew will continue in 10 category -B districts as before till July 16

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

• All shops (except shopping mall, spa and beauty parlours),  transport of goods, industrial activities, construction activities
• Hospitals, clinics, medicine stores and diagnostics centres. All healthcare services including AYUSH to remain functional
• Veterinary hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, pathology labs, sale and supply of vaccine and medicines
• Indoor/outdoor shooting for films in category-A districts
• Morning walk, jogging and cycling
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and its regulated financial markets and entities like NPCI, CCIL and payment system operators
• All bank branches, banking and ATM services
• Movement of all medical and veterinary personnel by air to other states
• Railway, airports, seaports to continue operation as per Centre’s guidelines
  Postal services
• Movements allowed for COVID testing and vaccination
• Agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry
• Government and private offices will run with 50% employees capacity
• 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.
• 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
• Print, Electronic and web media (members of media houses may have to produce authorisation from their appropriate authorities specifically showing their areas of movement)
• IT and IT enabled services with with a maximum of 50% staff
• Data and Call centres with bare minimum staff
• Telecommunications, internet services, broadcasting, cable services/DTH and optical fibre
• Petrol pumps, LPG, petroleum and gas retail and storage outlets with home delivery
• Power Generation, transmission and distribution units and services
• Government approved common service centres at Gram Panchayat level
• Cold storage and warehousing services including ports, airports, railway stations, container depots, individual units and other links in the logistic chains
• Private security services and facilities management services for maintenance and upkeep of office and residential complexes
• Hotels, home stays, lodges and motels, which are accommodating tourists and persons stranded due to lockdown, medical and emergency staff, air and sea crew
• Services provided by self-employed persons i.e electrician, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics and carpenters etc
• Shops that repair and service electrical and electronic appliances including fans, air coolers, water purifiers, ACs, mobile phones, computers and accessories etc
• Milk booths dealing in milk products and bread are allowed to operate within the stipulated time period.
• Restaurants and dhabas for home delivery and take away services only
• All Aahaar centres for take away service only
• OLA and Uber services allowed only to transport to and from hospitals, airports and railway stations
• Weekly markets in category-A districts
• Professional sports persons allowed for training/practice

Here’s activities CLOSED during lockdown:

• Parks and Gyms
• 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.
• Shopping malls, showrooms dealing in garments, beauty parlours, salon, spa; cinema halls, multiplexes, bars, indoor amusement centres
• Public transport system (buses and autorickshaw)
• All types of sports, swimming pools
• Jatra, opera and open air theatres
• Indoor film shooting, TV soap shooting in category-B districts
• Daily and weekly markets in category-B districts
• Inter-state public transport by buses to remain suspended till 6.00 AM of July 16. In category-A districts, the inter-district and intra-district bus services will remain operational with seating capacity only.

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

Stipulations for category-A districts:

• All types of shops including street food vendors shall remain open from 6.00 AM to 6.00 PM every day. However, malls, spa and beauty parlours shall remain closed.
• Street food vendors allowed to serve take away foor only
• Weekend shutdown shall not be imposed
• Weekly and daily markets shall remain open with dispersed sitting arrangement and Covid appropriate behaviour
• Inter-district and intra-district public transport by buses will remain functional with seating capacity only
• Two wheeler with pillion rider and four wheelers, autorickshaw, taxis, cabs, Ola, Uber allowed with driver and upto two passengers in the back seat for all purposes during this time period.

Stipulations for category-B districts:

• All types of shops including street food vendors shall remain open from 6.00 AM to 2.00 PM. However, malls, spa and beauty parlours shall remain closed.
• Street food vendors will be allowed to serve take away food only
• Weekend shutdown from 2.00 PM of Fridays till 6.00 AM of Mondays every week shall be imposed
• Weekly and daily markets shall remain closed
• Inter-district and intra-district public transportation by buses will remain suspended till 6.00 AM of July 16
• Two wheeler with pillion rider and four wheelers, cabs, Ola and Uber services allowed with driver and upto two passengers in the back seat for all purposes
• Shops and establishments dealing in animal feed & fodder, seeds, fertilisers and pesticides and other agriculture related activities.

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

The positivity rate has dipped gradually. Accordingly, the districts been divided into two categories A and B. While 20 districts — Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Kalahandi, Balangir, Nuapada, Sonepur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Rayagada — come under Category-A, the remaining 10 districts — Khordha, Puri, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj — have been categorised 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 16, 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.