A hotel in Puri that had allowed three foreign tourists to stay on despite the coronavirus-induced lockdown was sealed on Tuesday by the district administration.
“The hotel has been sealed for violating the lockdown that is in force to contain the spread of Covid-19,” an official said.
Sources said the three tourists — a Ukrainian couple and a German — had been in Puri since March 14. Puri, a popular destination for tourists and devotees, has been under lockdown for the past four days and all tourists have left.
The police, who were tipped about the foreign tourists, went to Hotel Dev Bhumi, 500 metres from the beach, immediately.
“Hotel Dev Bhumi had in utter disregard of the lockdown kept the business establishment open and posed a serious threat to the health of individuals and the community as a whole.
“The three foreigners were made to check out and put on a flight to New Delhi after a doctor examined them and found that they displayed no symptoms of the coronavirus. An FIR has been registered against the hotel,” an official said.
The Odisha government on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown in the state from Tuesday midnight. Earlier, the state had declared a lockdown in 14 of the state’s 30 districts.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday launched the Mo Jeevan Programme that would require the people of Odisha to take a daily pledge in the name of their children and parents to stay indoors.