Lockdown in Odisha extended till June 1 to tackle coronavirus infections

To tackle the second wave of Covid-19, the Odisha government announced to extend the lockdown in the state for two more weeks

To tackle the second wave of COVID-19, the Odisha government on Tuesday announced to extend the lockdown in the state for two more weeks.The government said in a directive, there shall be lockdown throughout the state from May 19 till 5 am of June 1. There shall be a complete shutdown on weekends, starting 6 pm of Fridays till 5 am of Mondays.

The two-week lockdown enforced in Odisha on May 5 was set to end on May 19 but after holding discussions with health experts, the government has decided to extend the lockdown for two more weeks.

All health-related services will remain operational in Odisha during the lockdown.

As per the new guidelines, street corner/roadside shops/ stand-alone shops dealing with food and the essential item will remain open on weekdays only from 7 am to 11 am. Such shops have been directed to maintain a 30 feet shop to shop distance.

Weekly and daily haats have been prohibited, while restaurants and dhabas are allowed to operate only for takeaway and home delivery.

Earlier, the Odisha government announced that they will launch a three-month house-to-house survey for COVID symptoms and comorbid conditions by ASHAs and AWWs. The survey will commence on May 24, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Odisha currently has 94,293 active COVID-19 cases, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In the last 24 hours, the state registered 1,086 new cases and 22 related deaths.