Bhubaneswar, April 9: Odisha on Thursday extended the ongoing lockdown in the state till April 30. With this, Odisha has become the first state in India to do so. India is currently under a 21-day lockdown that was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24. Moreover, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has requested the Centre not to start train and air services till April 30. Patnaik said all educational institutions in the state will remain closed till June 17. The total COVID-19 case in the state remains 42 of which 34 are from Bhubaneswar, 3 from Bhadrak and one each from Cuttack, Puri, Kalahandi, Jajpur and Kendrapara. Coronavirus Cases in India Rise to 5734, Death Toll Jumps to 166.

The state government on Wednesday declared more areas as containment zones for surveillance and contact tracing of COVID-19 infection. In the wake of the rising cases of COVID-19, the Odisha government on Wednesday decided to rope in 1,620 AYUSH personnel to combat the deadly disease in the state. AYUSH personnel, including doctors and PG and undergraduate students (final year and 3rd year), staff nurses, and ANMs will be imparted training on COVID, the official said.

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The Prime Minister, while announcing the lockdown, asserted that social distancing is the only way out for the country in its decisive battle against the coronavirus. He appealed to people of the nation not to cross the 'lakshman rekha' of their homes in the next three weeks. Underlining the massive danger the coronavirus poses, he said any negligence in these 21 days will "push the country and people of the nation back by 21 years".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2020 12:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).