States with no coronavirus cases take precautions: classes off, new rules, shutters down

Banerjee, who held a high-level meeting with state and the Union government officials to review the situation on Monday, said that the decision to invoke Epidemic Diseases Act was taken as people who have shown symptoms of coronavirus are refusing to be kept in isolation. She said, “So far, we have screened 3.24 lakh people in West Bengal, of which we are still monitoring conditions of 5,589 people. While 59 had shown symptoms, the results of 58 came negative. The result of one is still pending.”

In the Northeast, while Nagaland, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh banned entry of domestic and international tourists, Assam announced screening of domestic tourists at airports.

In Guwahati, Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the media that 34 of 36 samples tested in the state have come negative and results for two are pending. The Assam government also ordered to restrict entry of daily visitors to the State Secretariat to 100 persons per day until March 31.

In the Northeast, while Nagaland, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh banned entry of domestic and international tourists, Assam announced screening of domestic tourists at airports.

Meghalaya government ordered all cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools and educational institutions to remain shut until March 31. Examinations will go on as per schedule, it said — a step announced by the Assam government a day before. The Budget Session of Meghalaya was also postponed.

Assam has also announced that national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and the zoo in Guwahati will remain closed until March 29.

Read | Don’t panic, stay away from crowded places, says Mamata

In Nagaland, all educational institutions will remain shut until April 12, according to an order signed by Chief Secretary Temjen Toy. In Arunachal Pradesh, cinema halls, night clubs, weekly bazaar and all educational institutes will stay shut until April 5.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand government notified the Jharkhand State Epidemic Disease (COVID-19) Regulation, 2020 under Epidemic Act, 1897. Under this, suspects are necessitated to get themselves checked and all educational institutions, gymnasiums, swimming pools, cinema halls, multiplexes, among others, will remain closed until April 14.

All northeastern states have issued orders to close educational institutions. (Express photo/Prashant Nadkar)

A sum of Rs 200 crore is allocated to deal with the pandemic. Chief Minister Hemant Soren said 488 people have arrived in the state from various countries since the outbreak. “Of them, 175 people have shown no symptom of coronavirus; the others are under observation,” said Soren.

In Gujarat, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Department of Gujarat issued a notification and asked hotels and restaurants to sterilise tables, seats and surroundings. The moves comes after the state ordered closure of educational institutions, multiplexes and other public places across the state.

Gujarat High Court issued a circular stating that it would take up only “urgent” matters starting Tuesday, until March 31.

All zoos, safari parks, wildlife sanctuaries and conservation reserves in Gujarat will be closed from Tuesday until March 29.

Until Monday evening, 96 samples of suspected patients were taken across the state, of which 87 samples tested negative; results of nine are pending. From late-January to March 16, 3,820 travellers were screened, it was announced.

Chhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singh Deo, meanwhile, wrote to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and urged him to expand testing criteria for coronavirus and sought adequate testing kits.

In his letter, posted on social media, Singh Deo wrote: “India, so far, has one of the lowest rates of testing globally, at around 3 tests per million. Countries like South Korea have carried out more than 4,000 tests per million. I urge the government of India to expand the criteria for testing…”

The Bhupesh Baghel-led government has already closed anganwadis, schools, colleges, libraries and parks. Help centres have been set up at the airport and at all district hospitals and some private hospitals across the state.

State Health Secretary Niharika Barik said, “Earlier, we sent samples to Pune and Nagpur. Now we have the centre at AIIMS (in Raipur). We have requested the Health Ministry to allow testing in Jagdalpur Medical College and Raigarh Medical College for…early detection.”

In Patna, Bihar government officials said of 274 suspected patients kept under observation, 86 have been discharged after having completed 14 days of observation. Principal Secretary (Health) Sanjay Kumar said screening has been carried out at 49 points along India-Nepal border and 1,49,901 people had been screened at these point and there was just one symptomatic case, which tested negative. Six Buddhists spots across the state have been put under surveillance.