BHUBANESWAR: The State government lifted the night curfew from all urban areas from February 18 following a steady decline in the number of Covid-19 cases in the State. A notification issued on Friday by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner said that the decision was taken in view of the continuous decrease in the number of Covid cases in the State.
Night curfew was imposed in urban areas from 10 pm to 5 am since March 2020. The duration of the restriction was extended or relaxed basing on the prevailing situation in the last two years. The lifting of the night curfew came days after the Centre’s directive to the states to ease additional Covid-19 curbs. On February 15, the Centre had written to states and union territories to review and amend/do away with any additional restrictions with India witnessing a drop in new cases and active caseload.
Odisha has been reporting less than 1,000 new infections for the last four days and currently has 7,855 active cases. The State reported 671 cases during the last 24 hours. However, 15 persons have died in the State due to Covid during the period. This decision is being seen as a step towards minimising the impact on lives and livelihood.