COVID-19: Forest Research Institute in Dehradun shuts all visits till March 31

In the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun has closed all kinds of visits till March 31. Along with it, the Uttarakhand government has declared the novel Coronavirus an epidemic and shut all multiplexes, cinema halls, degree colleges and technical institutes across the state till March 31. This comes after the first case of the virus has been reported in Uttarakhand. 

As per reports, a trainee forest service officer of the Indian Forest Service (IFS) had returned from an international study tour to Spain, Finland and Russia along with other probationers on March 11. Reportedly, 62 trainee officers had gone on a study tour of these countries. 

Coronavirus in India

As of date, the total number of positive cases in India has soared up to around 112, including 17 foreign nationals. The maximum cases of the virus have been reported in Maharashtra and Kerala. Along with it, two deaths have been reported in Kalaburagi and West Delhi respectively. 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.

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Moreover, the Centre has “strongly advised” Indians to avoid all non-essential travel abroad. The government is also monitoring all suspected cases and has issued preventive advisories. Earlier on Saturday, the Central Government decided to treat the deadly virus as a "notified disaster".

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The Coronavirus crisis

First detected in Wuhan in December 2019, COVID-19- the novel Coronavirus has affected nearly 146 countries in the world. Presently, there are over 153,648 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of 5,746 people. As there is no vaccine or specific antiviral medicine to treat COVID-19, countries have been grappling with all possible mechanisms to contain its scope. So far, China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran have witnessed the most number of confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus.

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(With ANI Inputs)