C'garh: schools closed indefinitely

The Chhattisgarh government on

Thursday ordered closure of all the schools till further notice to prevent the spread of coronavirus after the first confirmed case of virus infection came to light in the state.

Earlier the state government had ordered that schools shall remain closed till March 31.

"In view of the first case of coronavirus patient being reported in Raipur on Thursday, the order was amended on the direction of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. Now schools will remain closed till further orders," a government official said.

During this period, foodgrains will be disbursed to the parents of the children who are beneficiaries of mid-day meals at school for 40 days, he said.

 

Board exams have been canceled and the new schedule will be released separately, he said.

On Thursday morning, health officials here informed that a 24-year-old woman, who had recently returned to Raipur from London, has tested positive for coronavirus, making her the first confirmed case of the disease in the state.

The woman is undergoing treatment at an isolation ward at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Raipur.

"Samples of 122 people have been sent for testing until now, of which, one tested positive while 110 came out negative. Reports are awaited for four while seven samples were rejected by the nodal laboratory as they did not fit the criteria of suspected patients," the official said.

Chief Minister Baghel chaired an emergency meeting of state disaster management authority this afternoon and directed the officials to be prepared to deal with any exigency.

Section 144 of the CrPC has been invoked in all urban areas, including Raipur municipal corporation, to discourage the assembly of people.

The government has also ordered the closure of malls, markets, fast food joints, beauty parlours and spas in urban areas with immediate effect.