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On March 24, the 21 days nation-wide lockdown has been imposed in India by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi to break the chain of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission among the people. This lockdown was supposed to end on April 15, but now the 21 days lockdown has been extended in Odisha.
As of April 9, there are 42 confirmed cases of COVID-19, only 1 person has died and 2 persons have recovered from COVID-19 as per Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Today, the Chief Minister of Odisha Mr. Naveen Patnaik has announced for the extension of lockdown in Odisha due to an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. The lockdown is extended till April 30, moreover, the schools and other education institutions will remain closed till June 17. All the essential items will be available as if they were available in the last few days.
The decision of lockdown extension was taken at the state cabinet meeting through video conference. The Chief Minister of Odisha Mr. Naveen Patnaik also requested the Centre not to resume train and air services till April 30. Odisha is the first state to extend the lockdown ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video conference to discuss the lockdown extension.
Further, during this period of lockdown, all the activities related to agriculture, animal husbandry and the flagship rural employment scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will be continued by following social distancing norms.
Referring to Odia migrant workers stuck in other states, the Odisha Chief Minister requested they be looked after in the respective state, while promising to continue to look after workers from other states similarly stuck in Odisha.
The Chief Minister of Odisha Mr. Naveen Patnaik stated “At this crucial juncture one has to decide between protecting lives of people and economic activity. The state cabinet, which met today, decided that saving the lives of our people is the topmost priority at this juncture,” on Thursday.
Also, Mr. Naveen Patnaik praised and thank to the citizens and all service providers from all over the country who came forward to help the person in need by providing their services and all support.
As many people are not taking COVID-19 seriously, the government of Odisha has also decided to impose a fine of Rs. 200 for not wearing mask while coming out from houses, in an effort to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
