Despite a dip in the infections reported daily and the positivity rate, the Odisha government on Monday preferred not to lift the COVID-19 curbs for February.
The government has mostly kept the guidelines unchanged and there has, however, been no word on re-opening of schools.
All government offices, public undertakings and autonomous institutions will operate with 100% staff strength in February instead of 50% attendance prescribed in January.
As per the order issued by the Chief Secretary, though a majority of active cases are recovering fast and hospitals are recording a low percentage of cases, it is still a matter of concern that 407 districts in 34 States and Union Territories are reporting a positivity rate of more than 10%.
Sating that there was a need to exercise caution and vigilance, the State government said it was extending guidelines prescribed for January and the elections tothe Panchayati Raj Institutions up to February.
While religious gatherings would remain strictly prohibited, night curfew would be imposed in all urban areas from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day.
“Shops, complexes, cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment complexes, theatres and auditoriums will remain open across the State from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day,” the order says.
Several religious functions like Saraswati puja and Magha Saptami will be observed during February.
While the Saraswati puja would be observed with all rituals in the temples and religious places without participation of devotees, a limited number of students with COVID-19 appropriate behaviour has been allowed to perform it, it said.
No Saraswati puja will be allowed to be celebrated in public places other than in schools and educational institutions. Similarly, large congregations at river banks, ghats and sea shore to take bath on the occasion of Magha Saptami would remain prohibited throughout the State.
As school education has become a casualty due to the pandemic restrictions and online education has its own limitations, Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) has come up with a Student Facilitation Learning (SFL) concept. It is aimed at bridging learning loss and smooth extension of teaching learning in schools.
“Imparting teaching to students in small batches will be undertaken at school and community level locations with COVID protocols. Curative assignments will be given for enriching learning. Regular periodic assessment will be done for students and their results will be documented and analysed through school records to understand the learning levels,” said OSEPA.
Headmasters have to ensure that all students of each class must be covered under the plan so that no student is left behind, it said.
Odisha on Monday reported 3,328 COVID-19 cases while the test positivity rate was estimated at 5.87%.
