The fear of Covid-19, especially its omicron variant, continues to haunt Odisha with the state government issuing guidelines for January 2022 to keep people safe.

According to the notification issued by the special relief commissioner (SRC), night curfew shall be imposed in all urban areas of the state from 10pm to 5am every day during the month. During the curfew period, there will be no movement of vehicles except for exigencies on production of proper evidence. The January guidelines prohibit picnics, though it allows political meetings.

Political gatherings should be limited to not more than 100 people with full compliance to Covid protocols. No educational institutions will be given permission to organise excursions or picnics till the end of January 2022.

All shops and malls shall remain open across the state from 5am to 10pm every day but social and religious gathering will not be allowed.

The precautions, according to official sources, have become necessary in view of reports of omicron cases among people returning to the state from foreign countries. “There is nothing to panic but we must take all possible precautions to check the spread of the virus,” said a health official.