BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government has issued strict instructions for people who have returned from foreign countries. They have been directed to remain under strict home quarantine for 14 days. Action as per the provisions in the law will be taken if anyone is found violating the instructions.
Those who are under home quarantine will follow a set of guidelines issued by the Health and Family Welfare department. They have been asked not to attend any social or religious gathering.
As many as 3,236 persons, who recently returned from around 110 countries to all 30 districts of the State, have registered their names through 104 helpline and COVID-19 portal of the State Government. Their health will be monitored by a team of doctors deployed at the State Health Control Room.
Since a majority of these foreign returnees are from Khurda, Ganjam, Kendrapara, Angul, Balasore and Cuttack districts, the State Government has notified a near-total lockdown in the districts besides the urban areas of Puri, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Balasore, Jajpur Town, Jajpur Road and Bhadrak from 7 am on Sunday to 9 pm on March 29.
No public transport services including operation of taxis, auto-rickshaws will be permitted during the lockdown period. The exception includes transport of all kinds to and from hospitals, airports, railway station, bus terminals and bus stands.
While all shops, commercial establishments, offices and factories, workshops and godowns will remain closed in these five districts and eight towns, distribution of benefits like pension and PDS has been postponed for the time being.
Chief spokesperson of the Government Subroto Bagchi said all private sector companies have been asked to pay the salary and wages of their employees and workers even though they have to discontinue their services temporarily in view of COVID-19.
Though all private companies have been advised to allow their employees to work from home, production and manufacturing units which require continuous process have been allowed to continue to function after obtaining the required permission from the Collector of respective districts.
"Private sector employees engaged in the containment of COVID-19 have been declared as emergency workers. Officer of Urban Local Bodies have been authorised to take all necessary actions for enforcement and implementation of the measures announced by the government," Bagchi added.
Bank/ATM, Print and Electronic Media, Social media
Telecom and Internet Services including IT&ITeS
Postal services
Supply chain and related transportation
e-Commerce (delivery) of all essential goods including food
Pharmaceutical and medical equipment
Food, Groceries, Milk, Bread, Fruit, Vegetable, Meat, Fish and their transportation-related activities and warehousing
Take away/ home delivery restaurants
Hospitals, chemist stores, optical stores and pharmaceuticals manufacturing and their transportation-related activities
Petrol pumps, LPG gas, oil agencies and their godown and their
transportation-related activities
Manufacturing units engaged in the production of essential commodities
Private establishments that are linked to the efforts for containment of COVID-19