The Odisha government on Wednesday announced partial unlock measures as the Covid-19 Test Positivity Rate (TPR) continues to decline in the State.
The new norms will come into effect from 5am on June 17 and continue till 5am on July 1, as per the notification issued by the State government today.
Under the new unlocking measures, the lockdown restrictions will be eased in 17 districts (Category A) which include- Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Nuapada, Sonepur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada. Shops will remain open between 6 am and 5 pm in these districts.
The Category A districts are the southern and western parts of the State where test positivity rate (TPR) is 5 percent or less.
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However, the rest 13 districts have been put under Category B which include Khordha, Puri, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, shops will remain open between 6 am and 1 pm. The TPR in these districts have remained over 5%.
Here are the list of services that will be remain operational and suspended during the partial unlock period.
What's not allowed?
- Buses for public transport.
- All educational, training, coaching institutions, etc., except as allowed by Government. However, physical conduct of examinations by state/ national/ international bodies shall be allowed on a case to case basis by the respective Departments with due intimation to all concerned authorities.
- Exhibitions/ Trade Fairs/ Melas/ physical Business to Business meetings are prohibited. However, such activities may be taken up in virtual mode.
- Taxis (including auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws) and services of cab aggregators (except as specified in subsequent paragraphs of this order).
- All cinema halls, multiplexes, gymnasiums, park/ entertainment park/ amusement park/ theme park/ water park/ indoor amusement centres, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls, Merry-go-round (Doli)/ Meena bazaar and related activities and similar places.
- All malls, Government & Private swimming pools.
- Jatra/ opera/ open air theatres shall not be allowed to operate.
- All salons/ barber shop, spa, beauty parlour etc.
- All social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions/ other gatherings.
- All religious places/ places of worship shall be closed for public. However religious rituals are allowed with bare minimum priests/ servitors and staff. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
- Marriages shall be permitted, with approval from local authorities, with not more than 25persons and in case of Thread Ceremony/ Bratopanayan, funerals and last rites, the number of persons participating shall not be more than 20(for the entire event) including hosts, guests, priests and catering and other support staff with adherence of COVID-19 safety protocols. Under no circumstances, the number of participants shall exceed the ceiling for the entire event. Thread ceremony/ bratopanayana and related rituals shall be celebrated only in the family. No outside guest shall be invited. No feast shall be served in the function. In case of all these functions, no community feast shall be organised nor shall any food be served in the venue. Only take away food shall be allowed to the guests.
- Indoor & outdoor film shooting/ TV serial related shooting shall not be allowed.
- Daily and Weekly haats shall remain closed throughout the State.
- All sports activities are prohibited.
What's allowed?
A. General
- Home delivery by operators/ online delivery of all goods/ services by e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Blue Dart, DTDC, Big Basket, Grofers, Urban Clap, Zomato, Myntra, Swiggy, KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Uber Eats, etc.
- Retailers of food & grocery items such as Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh, OMFED, OPOLFED, Chilika Fresh, Spencers, etc. They are also allowed to provide home delivery services.
- Print, electronic and Web media (Members of media may have to produce authorisation from their appropriate authorities specifically showing their areas of movement.
- IT and IT enabled Services (ITeS) with a maximum of 50% staff (as far as possible to work from home).
- Data and Call Centres with bare minimum staff.
- Telecommunications, internet services, broadcasting and cable services/ DTH and optical fibre (on-line, virtual services shall be encouraged to be provided to consumers.)
- Petrol pumps, LPG, Petroleum and gas retail and storage outlets along with home delivery.
- Power generation, transmission and distribution units and services.
- Government approved Common Service Centres (CSCs) at Gram Panchayat level.
- Cold storage and warehousing services, including at ports, airports, railway stations, container Depots, individual units and other links in the logistics chain. Private security services and facilities management services for maintenance and upkeep of office and residential complexes.
- Hotels, home stays, Lodges and motels, which are accommodating tourists and persons stranded due to lockdown, medical and emergency staff, air and sea crew.
- Establishments used/ earmarked for quarantine facilities.
- Services provided by self-employed persons, e.g. electrician, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics, and carpenters etc.
- Shops that repair and service electrical and electronic appliances including fans, air coolers, water purifiers, air conditioners, mobile phones, computers, accessories, etc.
- Sale and service (including service units of dealers/ garage on wheels) of all automobiles/ bicycles.
- Garages, vehicle and bicycle repairing shops shall be allowed to operate.
- Automobile/bicycle spare sparts shops (for home delivery).
- Shops dealing in construction equipment and supplies such as cement, iron rods, chips etc with provision of home delivery of all construction goods.
- Shops of educational books for students.
- Newspaper Delivery will be allowed between 5 AM to 9 AM.
- OMFED shops/ Milk booths dealing with milk/ milk products/ bread are allowed to operate within the stipulated time period. Such shops shall not sale tea/coffee/soft drinks etc. for on the spot consumption. However, home delivery of tea/ milk/ milk products/ bread will be allowed in other times.
- Restaurants and dhabas for home delivery and take away services only.
- All Aahaar Kendras for take away service only.
- All sweet shops shall be allowed to operate within the time frame in category - A & B districts.
- All shops during period of opening shall maintain a minimum 30 feet shop to shop distance. The shopkeepers and the buyers shall mandatorily abide by the Covid safety protocols like social distancing, use of mask. The local authorities shall demarcate areas for this purpose. The Collectors/ Municipal Commissioners shall make all efforts to disperse the vegetable vendors in such a manner that no person is required to travel more than 0.5 km for purchase of vegetables. Any violation of Covid-19 protocols will attract closure/ sealing/ cancellation of license of the concerned shops.
B. All health services (including AYUSH) to remain functional, such as:
- Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, telemedicine facilities.
- Dispensaries, chemists, pharmacies, all kinds of medicine shops including Jan Aushadhi Kendras, medical equipment shops, optical shops.
- Medical laboratories and collection centres.
- Pharmaceutical and medical research labs, institutions carrying out COVID-19 related research.
- Veterinary Hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, pathology labs, sale and supply of vaccine and medicine.
- Authorised private establishments, which support the provisioning of essential services, or efforts for containment of COVID-19, including home care providers, diagnostics, supply chain firms serving hospitals.
- Manufacturing units of drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical oxygen, their packaging material, raw material and intermediates.
- Construction of medical/ health infrastructure including manufacture of ambulances.
- Movement (inter and intra State, including by air) of all medical and veterinary personnel, scientists, nurses, para-medical staff, lab technicians, mid-wives and other hospital support services, including ambulances.
- (a) With a view to facilitating smooth movement of oxygen tankers/ oxygen cylinder carrying vehicles/ vehicles carrying Covid-19 emergency materials for management of Covid-19 in the State, such vehicles shall not be delayed at the toll collection gates. (b) A Green corridor shall be made available at the toll gates for hassle free and smooth movement of such vehicles. (c) The toll due shall be collected by a special service so as to allow the vehicles to pass within 5 minutes maximum. (d) National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)/ Works Department, Government of Odisha/ any other agency managing the toll gates across the State shall put notice to this effect conspicuously at the toll gates for information of all concerned.
C. Financial Sector
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and RBI regulated financial markets and entities like NPCI, CCIL, payment system operators, Clearing Houses and standalone primary dealers.
- Bank branches and ATMs, IT vendors for banking operations, Banking Correspondents (BCs), ATM operation and cash management agencies. However door step/ online banking may be promoted. Wherever physical banking is required such services may be extended to the extent possible in special areas with adequate ventilation and frequent sanitisation.
- SEBI, and capital and debt market services as notified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
- IRDAI and Insurance companies.
- Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFCs) including Housing Finance Company (HFCs) and Micro Finance Institutions (NBFC-MFIs) with bare minimum staff.
- Co-operative Credit Societies. Efforts should be made to operate with minimum possible staff Staff should be encouraged to Work from Home (Wfl-f) wherever possible and feasible.
D. Public Utilities
- Railway, Airport, Sea Port operations etc. shall continue as per Government of India Guidelines.
- Operations of Oil and Gas sector, including refining, transportation, distribution, storage and retail of products, e.g., petrol, diesel, kerosene, CNG, LPG, PNG etc.
- Generation, transmission and distribution of power at State level.
- Postal services, including post offices.
- Operations of utilities in water, sanitation and waste management sectors, at municipal/ local body levels in State.
- Operation of utilities, including movement of vehicles and personnel, providing telecommunications, DTH and Internet services, including maintenance of telecom towers and recharge facilities for prepaid mobile connection. Efforts shall be made to provide on-line services rather than physical services.
Exception: Passenger Train Services to and from Puri shall remain suspended.
E. Sports and physical activities: Morning walk, jogging and cycling are allowed from 6 am to 9 am.
F. Transportation: Public transport by buses (inter-state and intra-state) will remain suspended till 5 am of July 1, 2021 (Thursday).
G. Training Activities
- Physical training of uniformed personnel such as, Police / Home Guard/ Fire Service/ Forest! Excise etc are allowed with strict adherence to Covid safety protocols.
- All training activities relating to medical personnel and Covid-19 management are allowed.
H. Social Sector
- Operation and movement of related vehicles of homes/ Therapy Centres for children/ disabled/ mentally challenged/ senior citizens/ destitute/ women/ widows including bed side attendant and care givers of senior citizens residing in their homes ( with prior approval of the appropriate authority).
- Operation and movement of related vehicles of observation homes, after care homes and places of safety for juveniles.
- Disbursement of social security pensions, e.g., old age/ widow/ freedom fighter pensions; pension and provident fund services provided by Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
- Operation of Anganwadis — Distribution of food items and nutrition at the doorsteps of beneficiaries, e.g., children, women and lactating mothers. Beneficiaries will not attend the Anganwadis.
- Production and marketing by Self Help Groups and activities of Mission Shakti (as decided by Collectors)
I. Agricultural and related activities: All agricultural, horticulture, fisheries, plantation, animal husbandry will remain fully functional.
J. Industries / Industrial Establishments (both Government and private)
- All Industries operating in both urban and rural areas are allowed to operate. The production unit(s) of all Industries will operate as required for their production.
- Brick kilns in rural areas i.e., outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities.
- Workshops of Indian Railways.
- For staff movement, two-wheeler is allowed with the rider and pillion rider and car is allowed with driver plus two passengers in the back seat.
K. Construction activities will be allowed in both Government and Private Sector
- All Construction activities and associated movement of vehicle/ labourers in both rural and urban areas.
- The Standard Operating Procedure is to be followed in the Government as well as private construction sites and movement of personnel vehicles to prevent spreading of COVID-19 and to protect the workers/construction personnel from heat wave.
- The Collector/ Municipal Commissioner shall allow operations of the offices of the Contractors/ Construction agencies at district headquarters/ other places and work sites in the district on recommendation of the Executive Engineers of Works Divisions, during the lockdown period.
- Such offices located in the containment zones shall not operate.
- Letter of the Executive Engineer of the concerned Division to contractors/ construction agencies should be treated as valid document to allow travel of their personnel from homes to office/ work sites and to Government offices only for their professional requirement.
- For movement of staff, two wheeler is allowed with the rider and pillion rider and car is allowed with driver plus two passengers in the back seat.
- Opening of Shops relating to construction materials, Hardware /Paint/Pipes/Sanitary shops only for home delivery (orders to be taken on-line, virtually or telephonically).
L. Functioning of Government/ Private/Corporate/ Civil Society Offices
- All Central Government Offices to operate as per Government of India guidelines.
- All State Government Offices to work with up to 50% staff or as directed by Government in General Administration & Public Grievance Department from time to time. Personnel who have been fully vaccinated shall mandatorily attend office.
- Offices in private/ corporate and civil society sector shall work with reduced manpower, preferably at 50% of their staff strength. Such offices shall encourage Work from Home for their staff.