Vaishno Devi Yatra suspended amid COVID-19 outbreak

JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir administration announced on Wednesday closure of the Vaishno Devi yatra and banning of all interstate buses as part of the precautionary measures to arrest the spread of coronavirus.

"Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra has been closed from today. Operations of all interstate buses -- incoming and outgoing from Jammu and Kashmir, banned from today," the Jammu and Kashmir Director of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) said in a tweet.

The district administration in Udhampur suspended all modes of public transport, while two major parks including Bagh-e-Bahu in Jammu and all public parks in Poonch district have been closed till further orders, officials said.