Bhubaneswar: As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has become a serious concern, the Odisha Government Thursday released fresh guidelines for the month of January 2022.
As per the order issued by the Office of the Special Relief Commissioner, Odisha, there shall be graded unlocking throughout the State with effect from 5.00 AM of 1st January till 5.00 AM of 1st February 2022.
Night Curfew shall be imposed in all urban areas of the State from 10.00 PM to 5.00 AM every day and movement of vehicles will be strictly restricted except for exigencies and on the production of proper evidence, the order stated.
As per the fresh guidelines, all types of shops, malls shall remain open across the state from 5.00 AM to 10.00 PM every day during the unlock period and the Mall Authorities/ shop owner(s)/ Market Associations shall be responsible to ensure that COVID appropriate behaviour is followed strictly by himself/herself, and the customers as well. The owner shall make arrangements by deploying his/her staff to prevent crowding by customers inside and outside the shop/ mall. Proper social distancing demarcations in and outside the shop shall be displayed by the shop owner and COVID appropriate social distancing shall be ensured by him/her.
While all social and religious gatherings shall remain prohibited, political gatherings have been capped at 100 persons with full compliance to COVID protocols. Besides, exhibitions, trade fairs, expo, melas shall remain prohibited. However, official events may be allowed with prior approval of the Government.
The January guidelines also mentioned that picnics in Parks, Nature Clubs, Beaches and other Picnic Spots shall not be allowed and no cultural and Dance programmes of any sort shall be organised in Hotels, Parks, Malls, conventions centres, Kalyan Mandaps.
The Educational Institutions shall not organize Excursionsn Picnics till the end of January 2022 and Annual Day Celebration, or Anniversary in the pretext of any reason is also prohibited.
Cultural gatherings, programmes including melodies, orchestra, Jatra, opera, dances-classical, folk and other permitted dance forms, cultural competitions, open-air theatres, drama, Nukkad Natak, street plays, other such performances, etc shall be allowed to open with due compliance to covid protocols.
Cinema halls, theatres shall be allowed to open with up to 50% of capacity and operate with due compliance to Covid protocols.
Marriages, thread ceremony, Bratopanayan, funerals, last rites and related gatherings (with one reception) with approval from local authorities shall be allowed with a ceiling of 250 persons (for the entire event) including hosts, guests, priests and catering and other support staff with adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols.
