Odisha partial lockdown to continue till July 1: What is allowed, what not

The Odisha government on Wednesday decided to extend partial lockdown in the state till July 1, 5 am.

During this period, shops for essential goods will be allowed to open from 6 am to 5 pm in 17 districts of the southern and western part of the state where the positivity rate is 5% or less, Odisha's Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said in a statement.

For the 13 coastal districts and the districts with a higher positivity rate, the shops for essential goods will open from 6 am to 1 pm, he said.

In Odisha, the street vendors have also been allowed to operate with take-away only, in districts where the positivity rate is 5% or less.

The Odisha government has also permitted essential services, transportation of goods, industrial activities, and construction activities. However, the public bus service will not be running.

All restrictions regarding marriage, cremation, meetings, and social gatherings would continue. Entry to the temples will remain prohibited, as per the government's order.

Parks and gyms will remain closed during the lockdown period, but morning walks and jogging will be allowed.

Keeping in view the livelihood of milk farmers, the government has decided to open sweet shops. However, they will only be allowed to give parcels," Mahapatra said.

Automobile repairs and cycle shops will also be open.

The relaxation in the opening of shops of essential goods will be allowed only Monday to Friday as the weekend shutdown continues in the state. There are no restrictions on vaccinations, Covid testing, and health care services amid the partial lockdown in the state.

Districts of the southern and western part where the positivity rate is 5% or less include, Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Devgarh, Kalahandi, Balangir, Nuapada, Subarnapur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boud, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada.

The districts having a positivity rate of more than 5% include Khordha, Puri, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Anugul, Dhenkanal, Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar districts.

Odisha on Wednesday reported 3,535 new coronavirus cases and 44 fatalities in 24 hours.

The state registered less than 4,000 fresh infections for the second consecutive day after mid-April.

The overall caseload has surged to 8,63,061, so far. While the active cases in Odisha have dropped below the 50,000-mark.

The state's coronavirus death toll has climbed to 3,432, as per its daily health bulletin.

Odisha has so far tested over 1.28 crore samples for Covid-19, including 58,695 on Tuesday.

The state's positivity rate stands at 6.72%.