Unlocking Odisha: Chief Secy To Make Major Announcements This Afternoon

Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra is likely to make major announcements related to relaxation and extension of current lockdown guidelines at 1.30 pm on Wednesday.

The ongoing lockdown will end at 5 am on Thursday.

According to sources, the government is likely to allow some relaxations in western and southern Odisha while continuing with the night curfew and weekend shutdown.

A total of 14 districts – Kalahandi, Bargarh, Sonepur, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Ganjam, Sundargarh, Rayagada, Koraput, Dhenkanal, Kandhamal and Kendrapada are in Green Zone with a test positivity rate (TPR) below 5 per cent.

The curbs, however, are unlikely to be relaxed in high caseload and high TPR districts. 

Khurda, Jajpur, Cuttack and Balasore are in Red Zone in both active cases and positivity rate. While Jajpur has a TPR of 22.3 per cent, it is 11 per cent in Khurda.

The other districts with high TPR include Bhadrak (9.6 per cent), Puri and Balasore at 8.9 per cent, Cuttack (8.4), Jagatsinghpur (8.3), Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar at 7.9 per cent and Nayagarh (7.8).

Besides TRP, active caseload, bed occupancy and extent of vaccination will also determine the relaxation in the lockdown restrictions, official sources said.

Also Read: These Four Factors To Determine Norms Relaxation