Odisha govt waives Covid restrictions for persons from outside on cyclone management

BHUBANESWAR: Persons coming from outside to Odisha to assist the state government in the pre and post-cyclone management will not be forced to produce RT-PCR negative reports or vaccination certificates, said the office of the special relief commissioner (SRC) on Monday.
A number of personnel of the national disaster response force (NDRF) have reached Odisha from other states to carry out rescue and restoration work in view of the imminent Cyclone Yaas that is likely to hit Balasore on May 26. The government is likely to rope in the neighbouring states for manpower to carry out massive repair and restoration of electrical infrastructure in the affected areas in the aftermath of the cyclone. A large number of electrical workers from Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal were mobilized in Odisha for restoration work post-Cyclone Fani in 2019.
“The persons coming for the purpose of relief, repair and restoration or any other associated activities of cyclone management shall be exempted from producing RT-PCR negative reports and vaccination reports before their entry to Odisha. Such persons shall also be exempted from the home quarantine rule,” special relief commissioner P K Jena said.
The SRC said these Odisha-bound persons should carry authorisation document in hard copy or electronic form from the concerned authorities for the cyclone management work. They have been advised to produce the official documents to the police and administrative authorities for entry and smooth movement in Odisha.
In another major preparedness relating to Cyclone Yaas, the Shree Jagannath temple administration in Puri has decided to temporarily suspend the construction work of the chariots for Rath Yatra from Tuesday till the weather becomes clean.