Delhi shuts schools, colleges, cinema halls to counter coronavirus

Delhi government today decided to shut schools, colleges as well as cinema halls till March 31 in view of rising Coronavirus cases.

While announcing this, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also told reporters that vacant flats owned by Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board will be used for quarantining infected people.

"The city government has declared coronavirus an epidemic," Kejriwal said.


He said disinfecting all public places, including government and private offices and shopping malls has been made compulsory.

The number of coronavirus patients in the country has risen to 73 with 13 fresh cases, including nine from Maharahtra and one each from Delhi, Ladakh and Uttar Pradesh as well as one foreign national, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Delhi has now become the second state to shut educational institutions as well as theaters after Kerala which has maximum confirmed cases of coronavirus in India.

Kerala too had closed these till March 31, 2020.

Earlier today, prime minister Narendra Modi said that people should not get panicked, instead take precautions to fight coronavirus.

He also said that people should avoid non-essential travel and large gatherings.



Yesterday the World Health Organisation has declared Coronavirus or Covid 19 as a pandemic.

The Indian govt has also cancelled all visas till April 15 to minimise the virus' spread.