BHUBANESWAR: Amid a gradual fall in the daily infection count in the state, the Odisha government on Monday eased the Covid guidelines further for the month of February, bringing relaxations to the night curfew and excluding home delivery of essentials from restrictions during the curfew hours in urban areas.
As per the order of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena, night curfew in urban areas of the state will now remain in effect from 10pm to 5am everyday against the previous timing of 9pm to 5am. The night curfew will remain in force from February 1 to 28.
Jena, however, said that the curfew restrictions will not apply to home delivery of food, groceries, vegetables, meat, milk and other essentials by restaurants and aggregators such as Swiggy, Zomato and OMFED.
Besides, restrictions will also not apply to the permissible activities prescribed for the month of January 2022, he said.
The SRC said shops, markets, malls, shopping complexes as well as cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment complexes, theaters, auditoriums and assembly halls will remain open from 5am to 10pm.
As per the guidelines, festivals such as Sawaswati Puja, Magha Saptami and Magha Purnima in the month will be observed with strict compliance to Covid safety norms.
Saraswati Puja will be observed in temples and religious places without participation of devotees, while it will be allowed in educational institutions with participation of a limited number of students and proper adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour.
The SRC, however, clarified that celebration of the Puja will not be allowed in public places.
People celebrating Puja at home have also been advised to follow Covid safety norms and avoid mass gathering.
Lage congregations at rive banks, ghats, sea shore and water-bodies will be allowed on the occasion of Magha Saptami and Magha Purnima. The rituals of these festivals will be allowed inside temples without participation of the devotees.
“No community feast associated to Saraswati Puja and other festivals will be allowed. There will also be restriction of musical and entertainment programmes in this period,” the guidelines stated.
The SRC has allowed functioning of government, autonomous and private offices with 100 per cent staff. The General Administration department will issue detailed guidelines and SOP to this effect shortly, he said and added that virtual meetings and training will be encouraged to check transmission.
The government in its guidelines, however, has not brought any relaxation to the restrictions imposed on the crowd limit for weddings and other social functions. Besides, no decision has been taken regarding reopening of schools and colleges in the state.