BHUBANESWAR: Optimistic that their vaccinated status will shield them against coronavirus, the Odisha Police personnel are gearing up to enforce the weekend shutdown and night curfew, apart from attending to their regular duties of maintaining law and order and Covid-19 enforcement. While weekend shutdown will be implemented in 10 districts neighbouring Chhattisgarh, night curfew would be imposed across the State from Friday.
About 141 platoons of police force will be engaged to enforce night curfew and weekend shutdown. In the Capital city, 24 platoons of police force will be engaged, 14 platoons in Puri district and 12 platoons in Cuttack district.
About 62,706 Odisha Police personnel had registered to receive the vaccines. And of them, 55,651 police personnel have received both doses and 59,293 got the first dose. Till March 5 this year, 8,905 police personnel had tested positive for Covid-19 in Odisha and 8,857 recovered and 8,855 joined their duties. Around 48 personnel have lost their lives while fighting the coronavirus pandemic as frontline workers.
“We had never let our guards down even before getting vaccinated. However, fighting the second wave of the pandemic would have been a tough task if the personnel were not administered vaccines in the first phase,” said a senior police officer.
On the other hand, Covid enforcement continues with the Odisha Police registering three cases, arresting 18 persons, seizing 668 vehicles and collecting a fine of `27.99 lakh between Wednesday and Thursday for violation of safety guidelines.