BHUBANESWAR: In the wake of inter-state train and flight services set to resume from May 25, the Odisha government has partially modified the mandatory quarantine period for returnees in both rural and urban areas to 14 days. The state has also decided to resume intra-train and bus services from Monday.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Jena said in an order that returnees in rural areas will undergo seven days mandatory institutional quarantine. After the mandatory quarantine period, asymptomatic persons will be discharged to undergo home quarantine for a further period of seven days. The notification, however, maintained that the local authorities may extend the period of institutional quarantine of returnees if they find it necessary for reasons related to containment of Covid-19 and to prevent spread of infection.
In case the quarantine develops symptoms requiring medical attention, he/she will have to be shifted to Covid Care Centre or Covid Hospital. In urban areas, every person on return from outside Odisha will have to compulsorily stay in home quarantine for 14 days observing guidelines issued by the Health and Family Welfare department. However, if the returnee does not have a quarantine facility at home, he/she will have to institutional or paid quarantine for a period as decided by the local authorities.
However, government officials, professionals, businessmen or any other person travelling to Odisha on work and intending to exit within 72 hours will be exempted from mandatory quarantine. Besides, government officials, professionals, businessmen or any other person who have travelled from Odisha on work and are returning to the state within 72 hours will be exempted from quarantine requirement.
Besides, any returnee who has already undergone prescribed quarantine will also be exempted, the order said.
In further relaxation of the lockdown provisions, the Odisha government also decided to allow intra-state movement of two-wheelers, private vehicles, official vehicles, taxis (including cabs by aggregators like Ola and Uber). Besides, four-wheelers and auto-rickshaws will also be allowed with up to two passengers apart from the driver.
Intra-state buses and other passenger vehicles and city buses will be allowed to operate up to a sitting capacity of the vehicle, the order said and added that intra-state trains will be also be given permission to operate following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Indian Railways.
Public transport, private vehicles and taxis (including cabs by aggregators like Ola, Uber) to and from airports, railway station and bus terminals/stands/ stops are also allowed round the clock for facilitating the movement of passengers by air, rail and road. All passengers travelling across the state by any mode transport will have to compulsorily wear face masks, the order said and added that persons with visible symptoms will not be allowed.