COVID Spread: Religious Places Closed To Public In Odisha’s Bhadrak From Tomorrow

Bhadrak: The district administration on Sunday announced that all temples and places of worship will remain closed to public from Monday in view of spread of COVID and rising cases of Omicron variant of the virus in the state.

An official order, released by the office of sub-collector & sub-divisional magistrate, Bhadrak, stated that COVID variant Omicron has become a matter of concern for its rapid spread in the state in a few days. Since religious places witness large congregations of devotees, it is feared that it may lead to spread of the new variant of coronavirus.

In order to prevent the people from being infected by the virus at the gatherings, the district administration has decided to impose prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in and around all temples and religious places from January 10 to 31, the release stated.

While one servitor will be allowed to perform the rituals of the deity in a temple, public darshan is prohibited. The use of public address system and taking out religious procession are also prohibited. Any person violating the order will face legal action, the release said.