Shutdown In 3 Odisha Dists: Massive Contact Tracing Ops To Be Launched; Know What Will Remain Open

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday announced 60-hour complete showdown from 10 pm in Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore districts, which have witnessed a significant rise in COVID-19 cases in the last four days.

According to a notification issued by the Chief Secretary, all offices, shops and establishments will remain closed during this period.

The services exempted from this shutdown order include:

1. Hospitals
2. Police, Fire and Ambulance
3. Telecom services identified by Secretary, Electronics & IT Dept.
4. Petrol pumps identified by respective district authorities
5. Railways and Sea-ports for Cargo operation
6. Electronic Media identified by respective District Authorities
7. IT/1TES/Call centers relating to COVID•19 management (other IT/ITES as
   identified by Secretary, E&IT Dept.)
8. Water Supply; sanitation and sewerage
9. Electricity supply and distribution
10. Medicine stores as identified by respective district authorities
11. Movement of goods vehicles, loaded or unloaded
12. COVID,19 tracing, testing, quarantine; isolation and containment-related movements allowed by H&FW Department or by the respective district authorities.
13. Manufacturing units of essential goods and production units which require continuous process, with in-situ labour and adequate social distancing

All movement passes issued, if any, by any authority stand suspended during this shutdown. If required, fresh passes shall be issued by collectors or SPs of the districts of Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore within their respective jurisdictions during the shutdown period.

The sarpanchs of the gram panchayats and authorities of ULBs will launch a massive operation and enlist all such persons who may have come from outside the state and assist the district administration in aggressive contact tracing, the notification added.