Berhampur: The Ganjam administration sealed the border areas of the district on Saturday to stem the rise in COVID-19 cases.
Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said all the entry and exit points in the district will be closed with immediate effect. Besides, there will be restrictions on entry into Berhampur city.
Referring to the lockdown in the district, Kulange said that trading and business establishments will remain open from 5 am to 4 pm. He also said that the two-day weekly shutdown in the district will remain in force till August 31.
He said shop owners were asked to strictly abide by social distancing guidelines and wear masks while dealing with customers.
Moreover, shop owners will have to keep the contact details of their customers and draw circles and put up barricades in front of their establishments.
The collector also warned that a hefty fine will be imposed for not wearing masks properly.
He said that the rate of COVID-19 spread in the district has come down appreciably due to the ongoing door-to-door contact tracing, lockdown and other restrictions.
At the same time, the collector added that there was a surge in the spread of the virus in Odisha in July and urged people to take adequate safety measures in August to contain its spread in Ganjam district.
