Himachal closes all educational institutes

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday informed the state Assembly that all government and private schools, colleges and universities in the state will remain closed till March 31 as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

"Though not a single positive case has been reported from the state so far, as a precaution we have decided to close all educational institutes, anganwadis and creches till March 31," the Chief Minister said.

A notification was issued earlier about postponement of all fairs, festivals, religious functions and sport events with immediate effect.

"A total of 593 people with travel history to coronavirus-hit countries have been reported in the state. The samples of seven suspected persons have tested negative," the Chief Minister said.

"We will ensure proper monitoring at all entry points as a lot of Nepalese are working in Himachal and they arrive here by road," he added. IANS