Chhattisgarh Chief MinisterBhupesh Baghel on Sunday evening announced a lockdown in urban areas of the state till March 31 in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak.In a video message, Baghel said isolation and lockdown were considered effective worldwide to stop the spread of viruses."To prevent the spread of virus in Chhattisgarh, we have decided to impose curfew till March 31 in all urban areas. During this period, all offices, institutions, transport services etc will be closed. However, essential services such as medical shops, grocery shops, vegetable outlets, milk shops and petrol pumps will function," he said.Besides, services like electricity supply, water supply, domestic gas supply, municipal sanitation, waste disposal and commercial transport will continue to function as seamlessly as before, he said.Citizens can dial toll-free number 104 for health related services and 112 for any other problem, he said.He thanked the people of the state for observing Janta curfew on Sunday.The state government has already invoked Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in all urban areas, including the Raipur Municipal Corporation, to discourage assembly of people in a bid to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.So far, there has been one confirmed case of coronavirus in the state.
