COVID-19: Odisha announces 14-day lockdown from May 5

The lockdown will be implemented from May 5 and last till May 19.

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New Delhi: The Odisha Government on Sunday (May 2) announced a 14-day lockdown amid surge in COVID-19 cases.

The lockdown will come into effect from May 5 and last till May 19, ANI reported. 

People are allowed to travel up to 500 meters between 7 am and 12 pm to buy essentials. While healthcare and other emergency services have been exempted from the restrictions. 

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has declared working journalists of the state as frontline Covid warriors. He said that "working journalists are doing a great service to the state by providing seamless news feed, making people aware of COVID-related issues." They are great support for war against COVID-19 pandemic, the CMO quoted Patnaik as saying. 

"The decision will benefit 6944 working journalists of the state. It may be mentioned here that as many as 6944 working journalists of the state have been covered under Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana. They are getting health insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh each," the CMO added. 

While an ex gratia of Rs 15 lakh will be provided to the next of kin of journalists who lose their lives due to COVID-19 infection. 

As per the state health department data on Sunday, Odisha recorded 8,015 fresh COVID-19 cases, 5,634 recoveries and 14 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours. With this, the total number of confirmed cases climbed to 4,62,622 of which 3,91,048 are recoveries. Nearly 2,068 have succumbed to the infection in the state while the active cases stand at 6,9453.

On April 25, Odisha CM had announced free COVID-19 vaccination for all citizens in the age group of 18 to 44 years.

(With ANI inputs)