Movie theatres, gyms and swimming pools will be shut in Mumbai and five other cities in Maharashtra from 12am on Friday night till further orders as a measure to counter the novel coronavirus, the state government announced Friday. The five other cities where the safety measure will be implemented are Pune, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane and Pimpri Chinchwad, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced in the state assembly.
The Maharashtra government’s move came as the number of coronavirus cases in country rose to 81 with 14 cases from Maharashtra. The state follows Delhi and Kerala where schools and movie theatres have been shut. Schools in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad will also remain shut till further orders. Class 10 state board exams will however be conducted as per schedule.
Uddhav Thackeray also said that whenever possible, companies should allow employees to work from home to avoid the spread of the virus.
Jammu and Kashmir also followed suit and ordered the closure of all malls, gyms, swimming pools, recreational clubs till March 31. Karnataka has also ordered malls, cinemas, pubs and night clubs to be shut for a week.
The state government had earlier banned ticket sales for the 2020 Indian Premier League opener between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. The match was to be held on March 29.
Coronavirus has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The centre had announced all visas for incoming tourists have been stopped. A communique also said Indians returning from COVID-19 nations — China Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain and Germany — shall be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said no central minister will travel abroad in the coming days. The government has advised people to dispense with all non-essential travel.
