Bhubaneswar, Apr 03 (UNI) Odisha government today declared a complete 48 hours shutdown of Bhubaneswar and Bhadrak town in the state to break the chain of spreading coronavirus.
State Chief Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy told newsmen that the shutdown will be made effective from 8 pm tonight to 8 pm on Sunday.
Mr Tripathy said the decision was taken to shut down two cities in view of five corona positive, four from Bhubaneswar and one from Bhadrak reported and to check the community transmission of the dreaded Covid-19 disease.
The government yesterday sealed the posh Suryanagar area of the capital city and declared the zone as prohibited and restricted after one person from the area with no travel history tested covid- 19 positive.
Mr Tripathy said all grocery shops, vegetable shops, and essential commodities will be closed during the shutdown period. Only some selected medicine shops will be opened.
He said the complete shutdown for 48 hours was required to find out the contacts of the covid-19 patients to break the chain to prevent the community spread of the Covid-19 disease.
The state government cancelled all the passes issued earlier by the authority and warned that those who will move out during the shutdown period, will be picked up by the enforcement agencies and kept in 14-day quarantine. Cases will be registered against them and fine will be imposed on the violators.
Odisha DGP Abhya said the situation during the 48 hours would be almost a curfew-like situation and asked the people not to move out of their houses during the shutdown period.
Mr.Abhaya said the authority will issue special passes during the period in select cases and all passes earlier issued by the authority stands suspended.
The DGP asked the people not to visit hospitals during the period with the symptoms of common ailment and in serious cases, get special permission from the authority.
The government, however, will allow the transport of essential goods on the national highway during the period.
UNI DP RN