Odisha Channel Bureau
Bhubaneswar: Odisha rung in the New Year 2021 amid night curfew imposed across the State to check the spread of coronavirus which causes COVID-19 on Thursday night.
The curfew came into force at 10 pm, and was to end at 5 am on the first day of 2021 on Friday.
There was no celebration on the New Year Eve as congregation was prohibited in public places including hotels and restaurants and people stayed in their homes after 10 pm.
“Government of Odisha imposing night curfew from 10 pm of tonight to 5 pm tomorrow morning across the State. General public requested to cooperate. All essential services and movements are allowed to continue during curfew hours,” said State Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena in a tweet earlier in the day.
The State is passing through a critical stage of COVID-19 pandemic and it is necessary to adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols for containment of spread of the infection, said an order issued by the Office of the Special Commissioner.
The people across the State largely obeyed the restrictions as the New Year rang in with people greeting each other by calling their friends and relatives over phone to wish them a happy and prosperous COVID-19 free year ahead.
A majority of people sent their New Year wishes through WhatsApp and other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
The State reported as many as 315 new COVID-19 cases on the New Year Eve, when 328 persons recovered from the disease in the State in the past 24 hours.
The State has so far tested 69,46,965 samples and 3,29,621 persons have tested positive for COVID-19. A total of 3,25,432 persons have recovered so far.
As many as 1,873 persons have died of COVID-19 in Odisha so far. Besides, 53 of those who had tested positive had died due other ailments.
On the other hand, most of the major temples in the State, including Lord Jagannath temple in Puri and Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, have opened for public in adherence to COVID-19 restrictions.
The cinema halls and theatres in the State have been allowed to operate with up to 50 per cent capacity from Friday.
Meanwhile, the Eco Retreat 2020, Odisha Tourism’s flagship three-month glamping festival, is being held began at five different locations of the State at Konark, Bhitarkanika, Daringbadi, Hirakud and Satkosia.
The Eco Retreats that are attracting tourists and nature lovers at all the five locations will continue till February 28.
