Odisha reported 15 new Wuhan Coronavirus cases, including three who attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi’s Nizamuddin, on Friday, the largest single-day increase in the state, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 20.
The Jajpur administration in Odisha has announced a total shutdown, akin to curfew, in Odisha’s Jajpur and all block headquarters of the district for 48 hours from 8 PM tonight to 8 PM of April 6 as a precautionary measure to prevent community transmission of the Covid-19 after a Muslim cleric who had visited the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi’s Nizamuddin tested positive on Friday.
After his return from Tablighi Jamaat to his village Brahmabarada in Jajpur district on March 18, the cleric had reportedly visited many places. According to the authorities, the cleric said that he had come in contact with 13 people after returning from the Nizamuddin Markaz, but the District Collector, Ranjan Das, was of the opinion that the cleric cannot be trusted as he has been changing statements frequently.
The Maulvi in Jajpur who has tested +ve for #COVID19 visited many places post his return from #TablighiJamaat on March 18. He says he’s come in contact with 13 people. But we can’t trust him as he is changing statements frequently: Dist Collector Ranjan Das to #OTV on shutdown https://t.co/aaSTWEplyE
— OTV (@otvnews) April 4, 2020
Therefore, the district along with all adjoining districts have been put under a complete 48-hour curfew. All the major market places, Vyasnagar, Chandikhole, Panikoili, including Sadakpur of Koraie Block, Charinangala of Badachana Block, Neulapur area of Dharmashala Block shall be shut down completely.
Since the other two new cases in Odisha, also attendees of Tablighi Jamaat, are from Cuttack and Bhadrak respectively, the Odisha government has also announced a curfew-like shutdown in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Bhadrak on Friday to prevent community transmission of Coronavirus.
Officials said among the 28 people who had attended the religious congregation in Nizamuddin Markaz and returned to Odisha, 25 have tested negative.
The shutdown will begin from 8 pm today (Friday) and will be in force for the next 48 hours. “The Odisha Government has announced a complete shut down in Bhubaneswar, Bhadrak and Cuttack for 48 hours to knockdown #COVID19. The shutdown will start from 8 PM, Friday and will be in force till 8 PM, Sunday,” the chief minister’s office tweeted.
#Odisha Government has announced complete shut down in Bhubaneswar, Bhadrak and Cuttack for 48 hours to knockdown #COVID19. The shutdown will start from 8 PM, Friday and will be in force till 8 PM, Sunday. #OdishaFightsCorona. pic.twitter.com/Lpv0qx28i9
— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) April 3, 2020
During the shutdown, all shops including groceries and vegetables will be shut while a restricted number of medicine stores will remain open. “All lockdown passes have been suspended,” the CMO added.
The local administration will select the medicine shops that will remain open and decide on their time of operation, Chief Secretary A K Tripathy said.
Moreover, certain essential services have been kept out of the purview of the shutdown, an official said. These include ambulance, police, telecommunication, media, water and power supply, sanitation, and fire and coronavirus disease related services, the official said.
Tripathy furthered that the 48-hour shutdown order under the Disaster Management Act was issued to prevent community transmission of the highly infectious coronavirus disease.
