Combating COVID-19: 40 pc of Odisha under lockdown for one week

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], Mar 21 : In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered to put 40 per cent of Odisha including the state capital under lock-down for a week.

Five districts and eight major towns from where were more than 70 per cent of the total 3,200 foreign returnees would be under lock-down.

However, airport, railways, bus stands, and essential travelling services have been exempted in the state.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced odd-even formula for public transportation. However, there is no bar for plying of private vehicles on any day.

Earlier, Chief Minister Patnaik highlighted the urgent need for more testing facilities and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video conference to scale up private and public testing facilities and make them free of cost.

According to the Ministry of Health, the total number of positive coronavirus cases in India till Saturday is 258 including 39 foreigners. Till now, four people have died in the country in Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab, and Maharashtra.

( With inputs from ANI )