Covid-19: Odisha becomes the first state to extend lockdown till April 30

The Odisha government on Thursday decided to extend the ongoing lockdown in the state till April 30 to effectively contain the spread of coronavirus. The decision comes amid growing speculations over extending the nationwide shutdown beyong April 14 to counter the pandemic. 

Schools and other education institutions will remain closed till June 17, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced after a video conference with his ministers.

"We have decided to extend the lockdown period till April 30 and a recommendation in this regard will be sent to the Centre," he said in a video message.

Patnaik said the state has also urged the Centre to stop train and flight services to Odisha till April 30.

Odisha has recorded 44 positive cases of coronavirus so far. A 51-year-old woman from Dhenkanal town tested positive for COVID-19 while an elderly man from West Bengal's Medinipur district was also diagnosed with the infection here, a senior official said.
 

People maintain social distancing while standing in queues to buy essential items from shops at APMC market, during ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, in Navi Mumbai

"Two new COVID-19 positive cases confirmed today," the Health and Family Welfare department tweeted. The 69-year-old man from West Bengal was brought to Bhubaneswar in an ambulance and admitted at a private hospital here, the official said.

Earlier, 34 cases were reported from Khurda, three from Bhadrak and one each from Cuttack, Kendrapara, Kalahandi, Puri and Jajpur. Now Dhenkanal is added to the list of districts where COVID-19 cases were detected in the state.

The nationwide lockdown was declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to break the chain of coronavirus transmission and it was scheduled to be lifted on April 15.