New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday declared coronavirus an epidemic and announced that all schools, colleges and cinema halls in the national capital will remain closed till March 31 as a measure to stop the spread of deadly coronavirus, which has infected 73 people in India. The Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi had already shut the primary schools, while the secondary classes remained open in view of the exams.
"All cinema halls to remain shut in Delhi till 31st March. Schools and colleges where exams are not being held will also remain closed", Kejriwal said as reported by news agency ANI.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting attended by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, LG Anil Baijal and top government officials. "The city government has declared coronavirus an epidemic," Kejriwal said as reported by news agency PTI.
He also said that disinfecting all public places, including government and private offices and shopping malls has been made compulsory across the national capital. Kejriwal also stated that the vacant flats owned by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) will be used as a quarantine for the suspected and infected cases of COVID-19.
The national capital has so far recorded six cases of coronavirus, with a 69-year-old woman testing positive for the novel virus on Thursday. She was admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in Delhi. She is the mother of a 46-year-old man, who tested positive for novel coronavirus and are residents of West Delhi's Janakpuri. Her son has a history of travel to Japan, Geneva and Italy. Eight other members of their family were found to be asymptomatic.
In view of the outbreak of the deadly virus, several states, including Kerala, have also placed under partial shut down. Kerala government, earlier this week closed all educational institutions and prohibited large gatherings at crowded places.
Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, the government has banned ticket sales for the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) opener between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, scheduled to be played on March 29.
The number of coronavirus patients in the country has risen to 73 with 13 fresh cases, including nine from Maharashtra and one each from Delhi, Ladakh and Uttar Pradesh as well as one foreign national, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.
The novel coronavirus, which was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday, has claimed lives of over 4,200 people globally and has infected around 1,17,000 people worldwide.
(With agencies inputs)