Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has extended the COVID-19 lockdown to Puri, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur and Dhenkanal districts and the entire jurisdiction of Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Sambalpur and Jharsuguda districts from Tuesday morning till March 29.
It was earlier in force in Khurda, Cuttack, Ganjam, Kendrapara and Angul districts from March 22 till March 29.
Now, the total number of districts under lockdown is 14.
In addition to this, railway stations and bus stands have been removed from the exempted category.
A notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department said the decision was taken as it had become imperative to adopt strict social distancing and isolation measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. More than 3000 people had returned to Odisha from foreign countries and registered themselves in the COVID-19 portal, it added.
On March 21, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced lock down in these five districts and eight major urban localities of Puri, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Jajpur, Jajpur Road, Bhadrak and Balasore from March 22 till March 29.
