On Monday, the Odisha government issued COVID guidelines for the month of February 2022, as well as revised night curfew timing.
The new COVID guidelines state that the Night Curfew will begin at 10 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. It will be in effect every day until 5 a.m.
During the night curfew period, the restriction shall not apply to the permissible activities specified in Order No. 64 dated January 5, 2022 and Corrigendum Order No.70/R & DM (MD) dated January 6, 2022. The following are exempt from further restrictions:
Restaurants and aggregators such as Zomato, Swiggy, OPOLFED, OMFED, Cilika Fresh, and others provide home delivery of food, groceries, vegetables, eggs, fish, meat, milk, and other essential items.
Festivities: Several religious functions, Puja, festivities such as Saraswati Puja, and festivals such as Magha Saptami/ Magha Purnima will be observed/celebrated in February 2022. Saraswati Puja must be observed with all rituals in temples and religious places, even if devotees are not present.
Saraswati Puja will be permitted in educational institutions with the participation of a limited number of students who follow Covid guidelines. Saraswati Puja, on the other hand, will not be permitted to be performed in public places other than schools and educational institutions.
People are advised to perform Saraswati Puja rituals/puja at home with family members only, avoiding mass gatherings and adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols such as physical distancing, use of face masks/covering, and handwashing/hand sanitizer.
During this time, no community feasts associated with puja/festivals are permitted. On the occasion of Saraswati Puja, there will be no musical or other entertainment programs.
Large gatherings on river banks, ghats, ponds, seashores, or near other bodies of water to bathe on the occasion of Magha Saptami/ Magha Purnima and the day after shall be prohibited throughout the State. The rituals on Magha Mela/Magha Saptami, on the other hand, are permitted inside the temple without the participation of devotees.
Religious gatherings and celebrations are strictly prohibited.
Office Functioning: All offices under the control and supervision of the government of Odisha, public undertakings/corporations/societies/autonomous bodies shall operate with 100 percent of the staff in strict accordance with COVID protocols. However, the GA and PG Departments will issue detailed guidelines/SOP regarding officer and staff attendance.Virtual/online meetings and training will be promoted.
Prasanta Patnaik