Himachal govt shuts down schools, colleges and varsities
Shimla: Sensing troubles over spread of Coronavirus, Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday invoked more precautionary measures and ordered closure of all schools, colleges, universities in the state till March 31.
The announcement which state Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur made in the Vidhan Sabha also include shutdown of cinema halls and angawandi centres in the state's rural and urban areas.
The state government hospitals have been put on alert for treatment of any suspected coronavirus cases. The people have been advised to stay away from gatherings including fairs, festivals and religious congregations, which attracts mass attendance.
These measures are required to contain the spread of the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the Hill state which has already experienced considerable drop in temperatures due to rains and snowfall in Shimla, Dalhousie and entire tribal belt of high altitude areas bordering Leh-Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir .
In a suo motu statement in the House, currently in session at Shimla, Chief Minister said that the ongoing schools' exams will continue according to schedule but all government and private educational institutions will remain closed.
"All religious functions, fairs and sports events have also been cancelled," he ordered.
The chief minister directed all MLAs and ministers to cancel their public meetings in their respective constituencies.
All conferences and workshops, except important ones, also stand cancelled.
Chief Minister informed that a total of 539 people were under watch for Coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh at different government hospitals.
The samples of seven suspected cases have tested negative so the state has no confirmed case of Coronavirus infection.
"The decision to close schools and colleges has been taken as a precautionary measure and there is nothing to be afraid of as the state government is fully prepared to meet any situation," the chief minister said.
It was also because most neighbourhood states like Uttrakhand, Haryana, J&K and Punjab have also closed the educational institutions and quarantined the states. He advised people to stay alert and take precautions as advised by the health authorities.
Two days back, the state government called off the Pre-World Cup Paragliding Championship that was to be organised from March 30 to April 5 at Bir-Billing in Kangra district.
The decision was taken in the wake of the ban imposed on foreign travellers by the Government of India.
The Paragliding World Cup Association has now given new dates for the event from October 25 to 31.
More than 100 pilots from 25 nations were to participate in the event being organised by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, and the state tourism department, officials informed.
The state has also suffered a huge drop in the arrival of the tourists. The occupancy is down by more than 50 percent in the hotels ahead of the summer tourists season.
McLeodganj –abode of Tibetan Spiritual leader is already facing drop in the tourists. Kullu –Manali and Shimla too have suffered a blow.
Meanwhile, APG Shimla university –a private university, where foreign students from more two dozen countries are studying has also taken precautions, and suspended the classes till March 31 as par government orders.
"We have already complied with all directions of the state and central government. It's very important to stay safe against the spread of Coronations, especially when most states and countries have taken precautions," said Prof R K Choudhary, Vice-Chancellor of the university.
