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As the nation is locked down, and the keys are handed over to Mother Nature — only to be taken back when she clears the impending doom — we must realise that the situation will only get difficult as days pass. Maybe not worse, but difficult for sure. As the number of case would invariably rise, the quarantine would need to be stricter, and the lockdown longer. The treatment of the cases with symptoms requiring advanced healthcare would be a very difficult task, given the available health care preparedness which is overtly insufficient even for “a small endemic outbreak” as was witnessed on many occasions in the not very distant past — such as the infant deaths during Japanese encephalitis outbreak in 2018-19. Thus, the lockdown, and the expected “every-citizen isolation” is our best shot at surviving this unprecedented global situation. For a country of 1,380 million people, out of which an estimated 300 million people live below the poverty line on a hand-to-mouth daily wa...

People indulge in evening walk at IG Park in Bhubaneswar after it reopened Sunday Migrant workers returning from Tamil Nadu wait for their chance to get screened at Rasulgarh Sunday People throng Gourisankar Park apparel market to buy clothes without adhering to social distancing norms People take shelter under trees to beat the scorching sun near Master Canteen in Bhubaneswar Sunday Workers prepare chariot wheels at an iron workshop in Puri Sunday

  ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର : ବଦଳିଲା କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନ ନିୟମ। କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନରେ ରହିବା ଅବଧିକୁ ସରକାର ୨୧ ଦିନରୁ ୧୪ ଦିନକୁ ହ୍ରାସ କରିଛନ୍ତି। ଆଜି ଏକ ସାମ୍ବାଦିକ ସମ୍ମିଳନୀରେ ଏନେଇ ସୂଚନା ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି ସ୍ୱତନ୍ତ୍ର ରିଲିଫ କମିଶନର ପ୍ରଦୀପ ଜେନା। ସେ କହିଛନ୍ତି ଯେ, ଗ୍ରାମାଞ୍ଚଳକୁ ବାହାରୁ ଆସୁଥିବା ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ପ୍ରଥମ ୭ ଦିନ ପାଇଁ ଇନଷ୍ଟିଚ୍ୟୁଟସାନଲ କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନ ସେଣ୍ଟରରେ ରହିବେ। କରୋନା ଲକ୍ଷଣ ନଥିଲେ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନ ସେଣ୍ଟରରୁ ଛାଡ଼ି ଦିଆଯିବ। ସେଠାରୁ ଯିବା ପରେ ନିଜ ଘରେ ଆଉ ୭ ଦିନ ପାଇଁ କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନରେ ରହିବେ। ତେବେ ସଂପୃକ୍ତ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଙ୍କଠାରେ କୌଣସି ଲକ୍ଷଣ ଥିଲେ ବା ତାଙ୍କଦ୍ୱାରା କରୋନା ବ୍ୟାପିବାର ଆଶଙ୍କା ଥିବା ଅନୁଭବ କରନ୍ତି ତା ହେଲେ ସ୍ଥାନୀୟ ପ୍ରଶାସନିକ ଅଧିକାରୀ ତାଙ୍କ କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନ ଅବଧି ବଢ଼ାଇ ପାରିବେ। ଏହି ସମୟ ତାଙ୍କୁ କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନ ସେଣ୍ଟରରେ ହିଁ ରଖାଯିବ। କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନରେ ଥିବାବେଳେ ଯଦି କୌଣସି ପ୍ରକାର ସ୍ୱାସ୍ଥ୍ୟଗତ ସମସ୍ୟା ଦେଖାଦିଏ, ତାଙ୍କୁ କୋଭିଡ୍ କେୟାର ସେଣ୍ଟରରେ ଭର୍ତ୍ତି କରାଯିବ। ସେହିପରି ସହରାଞ୍ଚଳବାସୀଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ମଧ୍ୟ କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନ ନିୟମ ବଦଳାଇଛନ୍ତି ସରକାର। ରାଜ୍ୟ ବାହାରୁ ଆସୁଥିବା ସହରାଞ୍ଚଳ ଲୋକେ ୧୪ ଦିନ ପାଇଁ ନିଜ ଘରେ କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନରେ ରହିବା ବାଧ୍ୟତାମୂଳକ କରାଯାଇଛି। ଯଦି ଘରେ କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନରେ ରହିବା ସୁବିଧା ନଥିବ ତାହେଲେ ସରକାରୀ କ୍ୱାରେଣ୍ଟିନ ସେଣ୍ଟର...

T he Seychelles, a string of 115 verdant, rocky islands in the Indian Ocean, recently announced – in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic – that it would protect 30% of its glittering turquoise waters from commercial use. Safeguarding some 410,000 square kilometers (158,000 square miles) of the sea will benefit wildlife on the shore and in the water, including 100,000 giant tortoises and some of the world’s last pristine coral reefs. But, beyond helping such species, establishing the new Marine Protected Areas – which was made possible through an innovative debt-swap deal – will also bolster the health, wellbeing, and prosperity of the Seychellois, who number under 100,000 but cater to more than 350,000 visitors each year. Currently hosting only a handful of tourists stranded by the pandemic, the country is under a lockdown aimed at preventing the further spread of the virus. President Danny Faure’s decision to press ahead with this protection effort, even as his country d...

Mask Salesman on the Roadside Bhubaneswar Life during lockdown 4.0    Bhubaneswar during lockdown 4.0   A homeless mother feeds her child near Rajmahal Square in Bhubaneswar Migrant workers undergo registration at Rasulgarh Square in Bhubaneswar        A specially modelled vehicle raising COVID-19 awareness at Purighat area in Cuttack   Traffic jams make a comeback in Bhubaneswar Traffic police fine commuters for not wearing helmet, mask   Pineapples being unloaded from a truck at Chhatra Bazaar in Cuttack Squirrels playing at IG Park in Bhubaneswar Migrant workers defy social distancing norms while being served food volunteers of the Odisha government at Ashram School in Rasulgarh To beat the heat, a teenager takes refuge under a cold water tap at Samantapuri Slum in Chandrasekharpur area. A kid trying tho wriggle through a grill under the VSS Nagar Bridge in Bhubaneswar A fire tender team sanitising a portion of the Jaydev Vihar road i...

The RBI might have played out its hand for now with the latest repo rate cut The RBI has once again stepped up to the plate at the right time with measures that will reduce the cost of capital and ease the financial burden on businesses due to the extended lockdown. With Friday’s repo rate cut of 40 basis points, the RBI has shaved off 1.15 percentage points from the rate chart in the 58 days since the lockdown began, bringing the repo rate down to 4% and the reverse repo rate to 3.35%. With this, it does appear that the central bank may have played out its rate cut card for now as prudence would dictate that it reserves some leverage for the future if economic conditions deteriorate even further. In fact, there are those who believe that the latest cut may be no more than a sentiment booster as economic activity is at its nadir and there are not many investment proposals on the anvil that may benefit from the lower interest rate. Existing borrowers may be the only benefici...

ଓଡିଶାରେ ତାଣ୍ଡବ ରଚି ପଶ୍ଚିମ ବଙ୍ଗ ଓ ବାଂଲାଦେଶରେ ସୁନ୍ଦରବନରେ ଲ୍ୟାଣ୍ଡଫଲ କରିଛି ବାତ୍ୟା ଅମ୍ଫାନ୍। ଭଦ୍ରକ ଓ ବାଲେଶ୍ୱରରେ ୧୦୦ କିମି ପବନ ବହିବାର ସମ୍ଭାବନା ରହିଛି।  ତେବେ ବାତ୍ୟା ପ୍ରଭାବରେ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ପାରାଦ୍ବୀପ, ଭଦ୍ରକ, ବାଲେଶ୍ୱର ଆଦି ସ୍ଥାନରେ ପବନର ବେଗ ଅଧିକ କାରଣରୁ ବହୁ ବଡ ବଡ ଗଛ ଭାଙ୍ଗିଛି, ଗଛ ଭାଙ୍ଗି ରାସ୍ତା ଅବରୋଧ ହୋଇଛି, ଏହାଛଡା ଅନେକ କଚ୍ଚା ଘର ଭାଙ୍ଗିବା ସହ ବିଦ୍ୟୁତ ଖୁଣ୍ଟ ଭାଙ୍ଗି ପଡିଥିବାରୁ ବିଦ୍ୟୁତ ପ୍ରବାହରେ ସମସ୍ୟା ସୃଷ୍ଟି ହୋଇଛି। ତେବେ ଆସନ୍ତୁ ଦେଖିବା ଓଡିଶାରେ ବାତ୍ୟାର ତାଣ୍ଡବ ସମୟର ଫୋଟୋଚିତ୍ର-  ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ