Odisha Extends Partial COVID-19 Lockdown Till July 1

The Odisha government extends partial lockdown for two more weeks till July 1. Here are the details

The Odisha government on Wednesday extended the partial lockdown for two more weeks till July 1. The state has been divided in two categories on the basis of COVID-19 positivity rate, a senior official said. The restrictions will be in force till 5 am of July 1, Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra said. The weekend shutdowns on Saturdays and Sundays will also continue across Odisha till the end of the month. Under Category A, there are 17 districts located in the southern and western parts of the state where the positivity rate is five per cent or less, while 13 districts in the coastal regions feature in Category B. In Category A (Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Balangir, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Koraput), shops for essential goods will remain open from 6 am to 5 pm. The timing for such shops in districts listed in Category B will be 6 am to 1 pm, he added. Some of the Category B districts are Khurda, Puri, Cuttack, Kedrapada, Dhenkanal, Balasore and Mayurbhanj. Mr Mohapatra said, the state government has also allowed sweet shops to open on the condition that these will only provide parcels. Street vendors selling food items in Category A districts can resume business, too, but on take-away basis.