Coronavirus: Tourist centres in TN under lockdown; Visitors in Ooty asked to leave within 24 hours

Major tourist places, including those in hilly Nilgiris district and coastal town of Mamallapuram near Chennai, in Tamil Nu have come under lockdown as part of preventive measures to check spre of coronavirus, officials said.

In Nilgiris district in western Tamil Nu, officials shutdown all tourist centres, including those in district hequarters town of Udhagamandalam, popularly kwn as Ooty, and asked visitors staying in hotels and resorts to return to ir places within 24 hours.

Besides, people entering district in Western Ghats are being screened at eight check posts, District Collector Incent Divya said.

world famous herit sites in Mamallapuram, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Chinese President Xi Jingping in an informal summit last year, were closed for visitors.

With tourist attractions out of bound for people, town wore a deserted look, reports received here said.

In ar major hill resort town of Kodaikanal in sourn part of state, restrictions, including screening of tourists, especially those coming from 18 COVID-19 hit countries and states like Kerala, have been anunced.

lock down of tourists centres comes a day after state government declared holidays for all educational institutions and shut liquor bars, malls, resorts and amusement parks till March 31 in a series of measures to COVID-19's spre, especially in backdrop of rising cases in neighbouring states such as Kerala and Karnataka.

Tamil Nu has so far reported only one COVID-19 case and 45-year old man unuder treatment in Chennai has recovered and two subsequent tests returned negative.

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A report from Udhagamandalam, kwn as Queen of Hill stations, said ministration decided to close all tourist centres in district in view of high incidence of COVID-19 cases in joining Kerala and Karnataka.

district collector said travellers who were staying in hotels and lodges have been asked to vacate within 24 hours and return to ir places.

Nilgiris has several tourist attractions including Botanical Garden, Pykara Dam, Sims Park and, which draw thousands of tourists daily from March ahe of summer season.

Eight people -- two from Italy, three from Mecca and three from Karnataka -- who h visited district some time ago reportedly have symptoms of coronavirus and were w under observation in Kerala and Karnataka, Divya said.

However, students of international residential schools have been asked to stay re, collector said.

A total of 40 mobile medical teams were on high alert and moving across district, she ded.

A report from Dindigul district where Kodaikanal is located said tourists from 18 countries declared as COVID-19 hit and domestic travellers from states like Kerala would be permitted to climb hills only after a thorough screening at foothills.

Steps have also been taken for periodic screening of foreigners in hill station and, if required, swab samples would be taken and sent to Chennai for test for coronavirus, Revenue Divisional Officer (In-Charge) Sivakumar said.

He said movement of tourists would also be restricted in Kodaikanal and y would t be allowed to travel on ghat section between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

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