UP CLOSES EDU INSTITUTIONS; MULTIPLEXES TOLD TO BE ALERT
’Situation is under control, no need to panic. State health machinery is on alert to check the spread of coronavirus’
LUCKNOW : In a bid to tackle the outbreak of novel coronavirus, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act for a month and ordered closure of all educational institutions in the state till March 22.
The closure order applies to schools, colleges, universities and technical institutions.
This and some other decisions relating to coronavirus outbreak were taken at a meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. As on Friday, 12 people had tested positive in the state.
However, examinations of all boards will take place as per schedule. The government has directed the school managements to sanitise the classrooms before commencement of examinations. The government will review the situation on March 20 and take a decision, accordingly.
LUCKNOW: In a bid to tackle the outbreak of novel coronavirus, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act for a month and ordered closure of all educational institutions in the state till March 22. The closure order applies to schools, colleges, universities and technical institutions.
This and some other decisions relating to coronavirus outbreak were taken at a meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. As on Friday, 12 people had tested positive in the state.
However, examinations of all boards will take place as per schedule. The government has directed the school managements to sanitise the classrooms before commencement of examinations.
The government will review the situation on March 20 and take a decision, accordingly.
The examination of Basic Shiksha Parishad is scheduled from March 23 and the government will also take decision on holding of this examination on March 20.As per the government order, cinema halls and multiplexes will remain open but managements of multiplexes have been directed to remain watchful, sanitise the multiplex area and create awareness among people about the virus. Addressing a press conference, Yogi said the situation was under control and there was no need to panic.
“The state health machinery is on alert to check the spread of coronavirus,” he said.
Passengers were being screened at airports and awareness programme and screening were going on at railway and cus stations, he said.
Yogi said the state government has launched a training programme for doctors, para medical staff and nurses of health centres and district hospitals. Training of 4,100 doctors had been completed. Aganbari workers posted in villages are also being trained, he said.
Yogi called upon the people not to go for panic purchase of masks, protective gear etc. Only people who are infected with the virus or the medical staff should use masks and hand gloves. The state government will take strict action against black marketers and hoarders of necessary medical equipment, he said.
He said mass gathering programmes, including Holi milans, have been cancelled. “People have been urged not to shake hands, wash their hands regularly and maintain sanitation in houses, offices and public places,” he said. The state government has set up isolation wards and control rooms, with helpline, in all the 75 districts. The health department has reserved 820 beds in district hospitals and 448 beds in the 24 medical colleges to set up isolation wards for patients, he said.
Yogi said samples of the suspected coronavirus patients were being sent to laboratories in KGMU, Lucknow, SGPGI, Lucknow and an Aligarh laboratory. Samples will be tested at two more laboratories -- that of NIV, Pune located in BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur and BHU, Varanasi.
Soon laboratory test facilities will be available at other medical colleges, he said.
The chief minister said UP has an open border with Nepal and so the state government has installed a thermal analyzer on the Indo-Nepal border to screen people entering UP.
Yogi said assistance of medical education department and Indian Medical Association has been taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
The state government has launched awareness campaign across the state to educate the people on how to protect themselves from the virus, he said and added that the panchayati raj department and rural development departments have been directed to create awareness among the rural masses.
Coronavirus awareness will also be spread through radio, TV and newspapers, he said.