Markets in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar witness heavy rush hours before 14-day lockdown

BHUBANESWAR: Markets in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar witnessed heavy rush on Friday hours before the 14-days lockdown in four districts and Rourkela city later in the evening from 9 pm.
While people rushed out to buy essentials, vegetable markets were choc a block. Road traffic too was unusually high as people resorted to panic buying though the government has announced that essential items will be available every day from 6 am to 1 pm.
The government on Thursday announced 14-day complete lockdown in the ‘high case load’ four districts of Khurda, Cuttack, Ganjam and Jajpur besides Rourkela city from 9 pm of Friday till July 31.
This brings all the four major cities of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela under lockdown.
Chief secretary Asit Tripathy said during the lockdown mobility of people will be restricted while offices, commercial establishments and institutions will remain closed barring certain exceptions. “People, however, have no reasons to panic and must not resort to panic buying because vegetable, grocery and milk shops will remain open from 6 am to 1 pm every day. They, however, must buy their stuff in their neigbourhood,” he said.
Tripathy said entry of vehicles to Cuttack and Bhubaneswar will not be allowed from other parts of the state during the lockdown except for unavoidable emergency such as for medical reasons. The enforcement agencies will implement the lockdown in letter and spirit in larger public interest to contain the pandemic.
On the reasons why these areas were chosen, the officer said two-third of the active positive cases and most new cases were being reported from these places. “July is a significant month in the fight against Covid-19 Though the district administrations have been taking steps, certain action is needed at the state level. The lockdown decision in these districts has been taken taking professional inputs. During this period, there will be aggressive surveillance, testing, contact tracing, isolation and treatment,” the chief secretary said, seeking people’s cooperation in the move.
Notably, these lockdown districts account for 9259 of the total 15392 positive cases (60%) and 3009 of the 4412 active positive cases (68%).
A government order said marriages and funerals will be allowed during the lockdown after taking permission from the local authorities. Similarly, movement from railway stations airports and inter-state bus terminuses will be allowed.
Print and electronic media, agriculture and associated activities, industrial units, IT offices with bare minimum staff and petrol pumps and LPG distribution will remain open. Dhabas on highways can serve food for takeaways only. Similarly, hotels will remain open. The strict restrictions fundamentally relate to movement of people, but not that of goods, the order said.