Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government on Friday declared Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as the State disaster.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced this in the State Assembly after a Cabinet meeting chaired by him decided to declare COVID-19 as a disaster for the State under the provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005 to adequately empower the public officials to combat the spread of the COVID-19.
The Chief Minister said that as part of preventing measures, all educational institutions, swimming pools and cinema halls will remain closed in Odisha till March 31, 2020 in view of Coronavirus in Odisha.
Similarly, social gatherings and assemblies like religious gatherings, marriage receptions and parties will be regulated by local authorities, said the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister also announced that Rs 200 crore has been earmarked to augment the public health response fund to combat the threat of the pandemic and also for making required expenditure.
An Empowered Group of Ministers has been constituted and a Committee of Secretaries under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary will be constituted to evaluate the emerging situation and take all necessary steps for preventing, containing the spread of COVID-19 in the State, said the Chief Minister.
Earlier in the day, the meeting of the State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Patnaik took a decision to declare the Pandemic as a State disaster.
