SRIKAKULAM: With the spike in Covid-19 cases in North Coastal Andhra districts, particularly in Srikakulam, the neighbouring Odisha has started restricting the entry of people from the State into its territory. Only those people with Covid-19 negative report or a vaccination certificate are being allowed into Odisha.
Special checkposts have been set up at Rayagada bordering Vizianagaram and at Parlakhemundi and Girisola bordering Srikakulam on Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) by the Odisha authorities to restrict the entry of people from AP into their State. People living in the border villages go to Odisha for their daily needs as the places in the neighbouring State are easily accessible rather than the mandal or district headquarters in Srikakulam or Vizianagaram.
As several districts in Odisha, some of them adjacent to Andhra Pradesh, have already declared night curfew and weekend shutdown from April 17, severe restrictions have been imposed on movement of vehicles and people from other States to curb the spread of Covid.People are being screened at the borders. RT-PCR tests are being conducted on drivers of vehicles carrying goods. Drivers of vehicles who test negative, will only be allowed into the State.
Gajapati District Collector Anupam Saha personally monitored the movement of people at Mahendratanaya Bridge connecting Pathapatnam of AP and Parlakhemundi of Odisha on Tuesday. People of AP without Covid negative report are being sent back by police personnel manning checkposts on the State borders. Hoardings on Covid restrictions imposed by the Odisha government were also set up at border points.
When contacted by TNIE, Srikakulam District Collector J Nivas said Odisha officials at AOB are restricting the movement of people from other States as per their government orders. “As on date, no restrictions on inter-state movement are issued by the Centre, but the Odisha government is implementing the restrictions,’’ he said, adding that AP has not imposed any restrictions on inter-state movement at the AOB.
Partial lockdown in Guntur from April 25
Guntur: With a large chunk of new Covid-19 infections in the district emerging from the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) limits, the district administration has decided to impose partial lockdown in the corporation limits from April 25 to curb the spread of virus