Odisha Government, have issued fresh COVID-19 guidelines for next month. The state government has allowed cinema halls and theatres to re-open with 50 percent of their capacity.<br />'' <br />''Social, religious, sports, entertainment, academic and cultural functions and gatherings have also been allowed with a ceiling of 200 persons per event and with strict adherence to covid-19 protocols. AIR correspondent reports, Odisha, of late, has been adding and subtracting almost an equal number of COVID-19 positive and recovered cases in the range of 3 to 4 hundred per day. Consequent upon this, while the active caseload has slumped below two thousand five hundred, the New Year in Odisha will see further opening up of socio-religious, sports and cultural spaces, though with caps and conditions.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;"> Permission for such gatherings will have to be obtained from the concerned district magistrate or municipal commissioner. While the government have also allowed a maximum of 200 persons in marriage ceremonies and half the number in funerals, the state government offices will function at 75% of their staff strength in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar in January 2021.</span><br />