Vikrant Shekhawat : May 18, 2021, 05:48 PM
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday extended the COVID-19-induced lockdown till 5 am on June 1. Earlier, a 14-day lockdown was imposed in the state on May 5 to contain the spread of COVID-19.However, a day before the restrictions were set to end, the Odisha government extended the lockdown in the state. As per the new order, shops dealing with emergency and essential article will now be allowed to open from 7 am to 11 am. Home delivery services will be encouraged.Weekend shutdowns (beginning 6 pm on Fridays till 5 am on Mondays) will continue as usual. While addressing a press conference, Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra said that anybody found violating the restrictions during the weekends will be strictly dealt with,The government has reduced the number of participants at a wedding ceremony from 50 to 25. All health services will remain functional during the lockdown. The movement of all medical personnel will also be permitted.Banks, ATMs, etc. will remain functional. Weekly haats will, however, remain prohibited.Odisha's COVID-19 caseload rose to 6,33,302 on Tuesday after 10,321 more people tested positive for the infection. With 22 new deaths, the toll increased to 2,357. The number of active cases stands at 1,04,539.Meanwhile, the Odisha government has announced that a three-month house-to-house survey for COVID-19 symptoms and comorbid conditions by ASHAs and AWWs will commence on May 24.Odisha's positivity rate stands at 5.76 per cent.