[Watch] Weekend Shutdown In Rourkela & Other Urban Areas In 10 Odisha Districts From Today; Know What’s Allowed

Bhubaneswar: Amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, police in Rourkela are strictly enforcing COVID-19 norms.

“Strict enforcement of Covid-19 norms and people’s support can break the transmission chain. Legal action will be taken against the violators of the pandemic norms,” Rourkela SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo told a local news channel. 

The district has been leading to the state’s tally in new cases for the past few days.

To contain the COVID-19 spread, weekend shutdown will be imposed in urban areas of Sundargarh along with Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput, and Malkangiri, the 10 districts bordering Chhattisgarh and worst hit by the second wave of COVID-19, from Saturday.

During the weekend shutdown, all medical establishments including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and medicine stores, will remain open and movement of ambulances and all medical personnel will be allowed.

The other exemptions are as follows:

• Movement of the district and municipal administration/police/fire services

• Central and state government officials on emergency duty

• Telecom services

• Petrol pumps

• LPG distribution, home delivery of cooking gas and associated facilities, associated personnel and vehicular movement

• Print and Electronic Media identified by Commissionerate/District Police

• Water Supply, sanitation and sewerage workers

• Electricity supply and distribution

• Movement of goods and goods carriers, whether loaded or unloaded

Night curfew in these areas has also been revised from 9 pm to 5 am to 6 pm to 5 am.

The Trade Association of Khadiala in Nuapada district has decided to shut all shops in the block for nine days, starting Saturday. Only those essential commodities will only be allowed to open. The vegetable shops will open from 5 am to 10 pm.

Here is a video from Malkangiri: