Odisha become first state to extend its lockdown. Lockdown extended till April 30

The Covid-19 lockdown in Odisha will be extended till April 30, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced this statement on Thursday after a meeting of the state cabinet. Odisha is the first state to extend the lockdown ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video conference to discuss the lockdown extension.

In a statement Patnaik said “Odisha has also urged the Centre to stop train and flight services to the state till April 30. Schools and educational institutions would remain closed till June 17”.

According to Union health ministry data, “Odisha has reported 42 confirmed Covid-19 cases so far. One person has died in the state due to coronavirus disease”.

On April 3, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation announced it is creating a containment zone, a nearly rectangular area with 1.5 km length and 800 metre width that centred on a housing complex, the epicentre of the local outbreak with 18 positive cases of coronavirus disease. On Twitter, the city’s municipal body released a map showing a black dotted line along the busy Cuttack-Puri road indicating the contours of the zone which it said no one can enter or exit as long as the containment orders were on.

With Odisha reporting its first death due to Covid-19 on Tuesday when a 72-year-old retired government servant died in AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the authorities have stepped up surveillance and testing. After Surya Nagar and Bomikhal, the officials added Jadupur, Kapilaprasad, Sundarpada and finally Satya Nagar as conatinent zones.

Ten villages in Kendrapara district, a gram panchayat in Bhadrak district and a village in Jajpur district have also been declared as containment zones. Meanwhile, educational institutions in the state will remain closed till June 17.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik while concluding his video message to the people of the state on Thursday said “The biggest threat faced by human race is Coronavirus . Life will not be the same ever. All of us must understand this and face it boldly together. With the blessings of the Lord Jagannath and our sacrifice  this tough time too pass” .