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Mumbai/Chandigarh: Maharashtra government on Friday ordered closure of cinema theaters, gymnasiums, swimming pools and public parks in cities of Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad till March 30 after the State reported 17 confirmed coronavirus patients.
The closure order will come into effect from Friday midnight, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said, announcing that the government has invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 to tackle the virus outbreak.
As provided under the Act, schools and colleges in Pune and neighbouring twin industrial towns of Pimpri and Chinchwad will remain closed till further orders, he told reporters.
Wherever possible, private sector companies should allow employees to work from home, he said.
Theaters, gymnasiums, swimming pools and parks in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune will be closed till March 30, he said. People should also avoid visiting malls and other crowded places, he added.
"We will review the situation and take further decision," Thackeray told reporters after making the same announcement earlier in the Assembly.
Also Read: Odisha CM Declares Covid19 State Disaster- Edu Institutions, Cinema Halls, Pools To Stay Shut
As many as 17 patients have been confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus in Maharashtra, he said. Ten of these patients are in Pune, three each in Mumbai and Nagpur, and one in Thane which abuts Mumbai.
These decisions were taken as a precautionary measure, the chief minister said, adding that the epidemic was successfully contained in China's Wuhan city after it was virtually shut down.
Event organizers have been asked not to organise social, political and religious gatherings, the chief minister said, adding that permissions granted earlier stand canceled.
"People have been advised not to visit malls, hotels, restaurants," he said.
Bus and train services fall under essential services and cannot be stopped, the CM said, while urging people to avoid unnecessary traveling.
He also mentioned that the symptoms of those who have tested positive in the state are mild and some of them have no symptoms of the disease at all.
At present four confirmed coronavirus patients are admitted to isolation wards at Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai, ten at Naidu Hospital in Pune and three at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur.
Of the 17 patients, 15 had returned from places such as Dubai, France and the United States.
Isolation wards have been kept ready at district hospitals, government hospitals in urban areas and some private hospitals as well, the chief minister said.
As per the Centre's advisory, passengers arriving from China, South Korea, Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Iran are quarantined whether they show any symptoms of the disease or not.
"We will ask the centre to include the US and Dubai in the list since patients diagnosed as positive in the state have arrived from these two countries," Thackeray said.
Punjab Shuts All Schools Till March 31
Meanwhile, Punjab Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla on Friday announced closing of all schools in the state till March 31 as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of coronavirus. He, however, said exams would be continued to be conducted according to schedule.
"Holidays have been declared in all government and private schools in the state till March 31 as a precautionary measure," Singla said in a statement here.
The state government has formed a seven-member group of ministers to daily review the situation triggered by the coronavirus scare. Hospitals are on high alert, with specialized arrangements to tackle any exigency arising out of the crisis.
So far, one person who had returned from Italy had tested positive for coronavirus in Punjab.
The Health ministry on Friday put the number of coronavirus cases in the country at 75, which includes a 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi in Karnataka who became the country's first coronavirus fatality.
Schools, Cinema Halls Closed In Madhya Pradesh
The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday ordered closure of schools as well as cinema halls in view of the coronavirus threat.
While schools, both government and private, will remain closed indefinitely till further order, cinema halls will remain closed till March 31, or as per further order.
An order issued by the Commercial Tax Department and signed by deputy secretary S D Richharia said all cinema halls across the state have been asked to remain closed from March 14 to March 31 or till further order.
Earlier in the day, the state government ordered closure of private and government schools for an indefinite period in view of the virus threat.
School examinations, though, would be held as per the schedule.
The order signed by Principal Secretary, School Education Department Rashmi Arun Shami said all private and government schools would have a temporary holiday with immediately effect.
Teachers and non-teaching staff will have to attend schools during this period, the order stated.
So far, no confirmed case of the coronavirus has been found in the state.
The step to close schools has been taken as a precautionary measure, the official said.
Also Read: Coronavirus In India: Country Reports First Death, Total Positive Cases 72
(PTI)
