Bhubaneswar: Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in some states, the Odisha government on Sunday directed all Collectors, SPs and Municipal Commissioners to ensure strict implementation of the safety guidelines in public places, educational institutions, offices, hotels, restaurants and other places.
Wearing of masks has been made mandatory.
The notification issued by the office of Special Relief Commissioner expressed concern over complacency among people in observing basic safety protocols following the lifting of restrictions and sustained decline in new cases in the state.
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In addition to the detection of some cases with new variants of the COVID-19 virus, some states have witnessed a spike in the number of new infections, it further said.
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“At this juncture, we need to be very careful and ensure strict enforcement of COVID-19 safety protocols by all in public places, including workplaces, to avoid any chance of resurgence of the disease in our state,” the notification added.
District and police authorities have been directed to check and ensure strict observance of COVID-l9 safety protocols such as the mandatory wearing of mask, maintaining physical distancing at all public places, including workplaces and educational institutions.
“Large congregations must be avoided. Crowd size in marriages, other social/ religious functions, sports, entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ any other gathering/ congregations will be monitored,” it said.
Persons violating the COVID-19 guidelines/protocols may be penalised under the relevant provisions of law, it added.
MEASURES AGAINST CASES UPSURGE
1. District and Police Authorities shall check and ensure strict observance of COVID-l9 safety protocols such as the mandatory wearing of mask, maintaining physical distancing in all public places including workplaces and educational institutions.
2- Public awareness through loudspeaker announcements is to be made frequently in all market places, haat and other places.
3. Concerned authorities of Government and private offices/ institutions including educational institutions shall be responsible for due compliance with the COVID-19 safety protocols in their respective establishments.
4. Large congregations must be avoided and wherever permission has been granted for marriages, other social/ religious functions, sports, entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ any other gathering/ congregations, compliance of the COVID-19 safety protocols and crowd size in such gatherings shall be strictly monitored. Under no circumstances, persons more than the number permitted shall be entertained in all such gatherings.
5. Adequate and strict sanitation measures are to be maintained in schools, colleges, other educational institutions and Anganwadi Centres. The teachers and concerned authorities shall ensure observance of “COVID-19 safety protocols such as mandatory wearing of mask, maintaining physical distancing and provision of thermal scanning and hand wash or use of sanitiser by the students, teachers, staff and others.
6. Any person found with COVID-19 symptoms must be immediately reported to the nearest health institution and necessary further action be taken as per the advice of the health authorities.
7. Nothing other than the curricular activities shall be allowed in educational institutions.
8. Hotels, restaurants, dhabas and other places of public eating must be closely monitored by the police authorities so as to ensure strict compliance with physical distancing norms and other safety protocols.
9. Senior officers of the district administration will visit different places/institution to ascertain and ensure COVID-19 safety protocol compliance.
10. Strong penal action shall be taken against the persons violating the COVID-19 Guidelines/ safety protocols. Shops and other commercial establishments found violating such norms may be sealed and action as per law be taken against such violators.
