Amid COVID-19 outbreak, BSF suspends visitors' entry for retreat ceremony at Wagah border

The Border Security Force (BSF), on Thursday, stated that the retreat ceremony at Wagah-Atari border in Punjab will not be taking place in front of visitors. A spokesperson stated that the decision was taken in lieu of the health ministry's guidelines with respect to the coronavirus outbreak.

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No public viewing

The spokesperson said that the ceremony will continue as usual, but spectators will not be allowed. No clarification was made regarding the duration of this suspension. "BSF troopers will continue performing retreat ceremony. As per govt guidelines, congregations are to be avoided. Hence visitors to ceremony will not be entertained & it will be conducted without visitors.

The Health Ministry has also advised the citizens from across the country to avoid mass gatherings. In a notification issued on Friday morning, the Ministry stated that all mass gatherings may be "avoided or postponed till the disease spread is contained." The notification further stated that if mass gatherings are organized, states will have to take "necessary action to guide the organizers on precautions to be taken as per the risk communication material already sent so as to avoid any Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases and Influenza-Like Illness (ILIs) including Covid-19."

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Coronavirus outbreak

Globally, more than 3,300 people have died, with the epicentre being in China. The virus has infected more than 98,000 people globally and has now spread to the United States of America, Europe, Australia, and as many as 80 other countries. 

On March 1, UN Humanitarian Chief Mark Lowcock today released US$15 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help fund global efforts to contain the virus. The announcement came soon after the WHO upgraded the global risk of the coronavirus outbreak to "very high" – its top level of risk assessment. The WHO has said there is still a chance of containing the virus if its chain of transmission is broken. 

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