Weekend Shutdown Returns To All Urban Areas In Odisha, Marriages Allowed; Know The Exemptions Here

Bhubaneswar: Amid the COVID-19 upsurge, the Odisha government has decided to impose weekend shutdown in all urban areas across the state from April 24.

“Along with night curfew, shutdown will be enforced on Saturdays and Sundays in all urban areas of the state,” informed Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Jena on Monday.

Currently, weekend shutdown is being imposed in 10 districts, bordering Chhattishgarh.

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

• Industrial establishments, factories and construction activities

• Agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, animal husbandry, veterinary services and allied activities, including procurement at mandis.

• Service sector including IT/ITes, Hotel and Hospitality units, including the movement of staff and associated personnel.

• Movement of rail and air traffic

• Road transport on highways, road movement of transiting vehicles

• Movement of public transport, private vehicles and taxis to and from airports, railway stations and bus terminal/stops/stands for facilitating the movement of passengers by air, rail and road.

• Marriages and funerals with permission of the local authority

• ATMs and critical financial institutions like RBI, Clearing Houses

• Operations of airports, railways stations, bus terminals and their associated movement of personnel and activities

• Home delivery of food, groceries, vegetables and essential items restaurants and aggregators like Zomato and Swiggy.

• Dhabas along national and state highways/major roads for takeaway only

• Milk boot. and related activities

• Food and grocery stores such as Reliance Fresh, Big Bazaar, Chilika Fresh and others for home delivery only

• Newspaper hawkers between 5 am and 8 am only.

The SRC informed that there will be no change in the timings of the night curfew on the other days of the week. In Sundargarh, Nuapada, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Jharsuguda, Malkangiri and Koraput, night curfew will be imposed from 6 pm to 5 am and in urban areas of other 20 districts from 9 pm to 5 am.

Night Curfew exemptions

The restrictions will not apply to the following:

• District and municipal administration/police/fire services, central and state government officials on duty,

• Doctors, medical/paramedical staff (Govt and Private)

•  All emergency services and utilities such as electricity, telecom, water supply, sanitation and sewerage services and movement of vehicles and staff

•  Staff of IT & ITeS companies on production of their ID cards.

•  Any person, in case of medical or other emergencies

• Owner/staff of chemist shops

• All industrial units and construction activities

• Movement public transport, private vehicles and taxis to and from airports, railway stations and bus terminal/stops/stands for facilitating the movement of passengers by air, rail and road.

• Operation of hotels and hospitality units, including their associated offices, movement of staff and associated personnel

• Dhabas along national and state highways/major roads for takeaway only

• Petrol pumps and CNG stations

No pass would be required for the movement of the above category of persons. Valid travel documents/authorisations such as airline/ railway/bus tickets/ boarding passes, with any identity proof will be adequate for the purpose. identity cards issued by appropriate authorities of the establishments will serve as a pass for effecting the movement of employees of establishments under permitted activities. Patients and their attendants/persons requiring the emergency need for movement will be allowed to move with minimal proof of their emergencies.