Coronavirus: Gujarat govt cancels recruitment exams

In a proactive measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus in Gujarat, the government on Thursday decided to cancel all recruitment exams scheduled to be held till March 31 and suspend state bus services to Maharashtra.

Now, these tests will be conducted after April 20, said a government release. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, along with his deputy Nitin Patel, chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness of the state machinery to counter the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

The meeting was held hours before the state health department formally announced that two positive cases of the coronavirus have been detected in Gujarat for the first time after the outbreak.

As a precautionary measure, the state government, after the meeting, announced a halt to state bus services to neighbouring Maharashtra, which has recorded the highest number cases of Covid-19 (nearly 50) in the country so far.

Passengers entering in Gujarat in buses from other states will be screened at 16 check posts, said the release. In the prevailing situation, the State Election Commission has cancelled by-elections for 29 vacant seats in different local bodies in Gujarat. While the polling was to be held on March 22, counting of votes was scheduled on March 24.

New dates of by-elections and counting will be announced later, said the commission in a release. Out of the 150 samples collected so far in Gujarat to check for the coronavirus infection, two samples came positive, 123 tested negative while reports of 25 are pending, said another government release.