Odisha lockdown till April 30, schools closed till June 17

Bhubaneswar, April 9

The Odisha Government today decided to extend the ongoing lockdown in the state till April 30 to effectively contain the spread of coronavirus. Odisha is the first state in the country to do so.

Schools and other educational institutions will remain closed till June 17, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced after a video conference with his ministers.

“We have decided to extend the lockdown till April 30 and a recommendation in this regard will be sent to the Centre,” he said in a video message.

Patnaik said the state had as also urged the Centre to stop train and flight services to Odisha till April 30. Odisha has recorded 44 positive cases of coronavirus so far.

The state government also promulgated an ordinance with a provision of imprisonment up to two years for those violating the epidemic regulations. The ordinance amends a section of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.

As per the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, anybody who disobeys any regulation is liable for imprisonment up to two years or with fine up to Rs 10,000 or with both. — PTI