CM Uddhav declares 'Coronavirus epidemic in Maharashtra'; schools in Pune & Pimpri shut

Following Karnataka, Maharashtra government on Friday has invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act declaring the Coronavirus as an epidemic, as announced by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announces in the State Assembly. Informing the assembly of the 17 positive cases detected in the state, he added that schools will shut in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad till further notice barring where 10th and 12th standard board exams are being conducted. Affirming that schools in Mumbai and elsewhere will remain open, Thackeray added that gyms, swimming pools and theatres in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, Pimpri-Chinchwad will be closed starting midnight today till 30th March.

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Maharashtra declares coronavirus epidemic

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Coronavirus in Maharashtra

Moreover, he added that people returning from China, Korea, France, Spain, and Iran will be quarantined. While he ruled out shutting down railways and buses, he has told people to avoid unnecessary travel. Banning all mass gatherings in the state, he also appealed to companies to allow work from home wherever possible and advised people to avoid malls, restaurants and hotels. BMC health officials have briefed that four positive cases have been detected - 3 in Mumbai, 1 in Thane - after 460 homes were surveyed. This development comes amid India witnessing its first death due to Coronavirus. On Thursday, laboratory reports confirmed that a 76-year-old man from Karnataka's Kalaburagi who passed away on Tuesday night had contracted the novel coronavirus. 

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Coronavirus crisis in India

As of date, the total number of positive cases in India has risen upto 83 - Haryana-15, Telangana-1, Rajasthan-3, Andhra Pradesh - 1, Karnataka-5, Jammu-1, Ladakh-3, Maharashtra- 16, Tamil Nadu-1, Uttar Pradesh-11, Delhi-6, Punjab-1, Kerala-19 (out of which 3 recovered).  India has suspended all visas, barring for a few categories such as diplomatic and employment apart from keeping in abeyance the visa-free travel facility to OCI cardholders till April 15. The government is monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories - visit the official government here: MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE

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