Lockdown Curbs Eased In Odisha; Know What’s Allowed In August

Bhubaneswar: To contain the spread of COVID, the Odisha government has decided to continue with the night curfew. The time duration has, however, been reduced from 5 pm to 6 am to 8 pm to 6 am in 10 districts -Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj.

The weekend shutdown will be imposed in only three cities – Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri – with a high caseload.

WHAT’S ALLOWED

>> Malls, cinema halls, operas, jatra and open-air theatre will reopen with half of their audience capacity.

>> Restaurants, bars and dhabas will resume business with 50 per cent seating capacity.

*People above 18 years visiting these establishments in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri will have to produce fully vaccinated certificates.

>> All sea beaches, parks will also remain open. Wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and use of hand sanitiser is mandatory.

>> Daily and weekly markets will remain open with strict adherence to COVID guidelines.

>> Street vendors will be allowed with on-spot eating in compliance with the COVID protocol.

>> Aahaar Kendras can operate normally with on-spot eating.

>> Indoor amusement centres, entertainment/theme/water parks, merry-go-round, Meena Bazaar and related activities and similar places will remain open.

>> Museums, tourist places, zoos and archaeological monuments are allowed to open with COVID protocols.

>> Two-wheelers with pillion riders and four-wheelers, autorickshaws and taxis, including those by aggregators like Ola and Uber are allowed with seating capacity only.

>> Inter-state and intra-state public transport will remain functional with seating capacity only.

>> All educational institutions, including coaching, will function in accordance with the guidelines issued by respective departments.

OTHER DECISIONS

District collectors and municipal commissioners are authorised to take a call on the opening of religious institutions depending on the local situation.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and Lingaraj Temple Administration will take a decision on opening Jagannath temple, Puri, and Lingaraj temple, Bhubaneswar, respectively in consultation with the stakeholders. Offering prasad in the temple, however, is prohibited.

The ceiling on guests (25) at weddings and 20 for funerals and thread ceremonies will continue.