Odisha Extends Lockdown Till April 30 as COVID-19 Cases Surge, Urges Centre to Halt Flights & Trains

Bhubaneswar: Odisha on Thursday became the first state in the country to extend the 21-day lockdown due to coronavirus up to April 30. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the extension even as two fresh coronavirus cases emerged in the coastal state, raising the number of infected to 44.

The decision to extend the lockdown, which was to be lifted on April 15, was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet held through video conferencing and chaired by Patnaik. It was also decided in the meeting that all schools and colleges in the state would remain shut till June 17.

“We have decided to extend the lockdown till April 30. We will recommend to the government of India to extend the national lockdown up to April 30,” said Patnaik, 73, who is into his fifth term in office in Odisha.

“At this crucial juncture one has to decide between protecting the lives of the people and economic activity. The state cabinet which met today decided that saving the lives of our people is the top-most priority,” added the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader, thanking the people of Odisha for their support and cooperation in the ongoing lockdown.

Patnaik said the Odisha government would shortly request the Union government not to resume airline and railway services till April 30. “As regards people from Odisha who are stranded in various parts of the country, our intervention for their wellbeing will be through the concerned state governments. Odisha will take care of all the people (from other states) who are stranded in Odisha,” said the chief minister in a televised video message his office released.

“There will be no problem in the transport of goods. We are leaving no stone unturned in scaling up Covid-19 testing and treatment facilities. We propose to do one lakh rapid testing in the state at the earliest possible time,” said Patnaik, thanking doctors from all over the country who have volunteered to offer their services in the free telemedicine service that the state government started two days ago.

During the extended lockdown period, activities related to agriculture, animal husbandry and MGNREGS will be facilitated in Odisha by following social distancing norms, said the CM. “In a larger context, food security of the people is a major priority of the state,” he added.

Describing Coronavirus as “the biggest threat that the human race has faced in more than a century,” Patnaik said: “Life will not be the same ever. All of us must understand this and face it boldly together. With our sacrifice and with the blessings of Lord Jagannath, this too shall pass.”

The total number of infected people in the state stands at 44. While two of them have been discharged after successful treatment, one has died. The state has so far tested samples from 2,841 people at the three government-run testing centres currently operational.