The Mizoram government on Monday announced the closure of all educational institutions for two weeks till March 31 as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
An official said a meeting of the state health department was held under the leadership of health minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana on Monday.
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The meeting unanimously decided to take preventive measures by shutting down all educational institutions, including pre-schools from March 17 to 31 under “The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 (Act No. 3 of 1897).
The official said the meeting decided to ban picnic and close gyms, cinema halls and swimming pools to prevent mass gathering for the same period.
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The meeting also agreed to continue with the banning of mass gathering in hospitals and also to prohibit outsiders to visit inmates of residential institutions, de-addiction centres and children homes.
Any new admission in such homes will be allowed after a thorough screening of the person concerned, he said.
The meeting also decided to launch an awareness campaign for church-goers during Sunday Bible classes commencing from March 22.
A request would be sent to all churches through Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC) for the campaign, the official said.
The Mizoram University (MZU) and its constituent Pachhunga University College (PUC), in separate orders on Monday, suspended classes from Tuesday to April 3 in the wake of novel coronavirus outbreak.
MZU registrar Prof Lal Nundanga said the decision was taken as per the Centre’s directive to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“Classes for all departments will remain shut between March 17 and April 3. However, offices will remain open and both teaching and non-teaching staff will come to the universities during the suspension,” he said, adding that the order will be reviewed on March 27.
The official said students will be allowed to collect study materials and filling up of examination forms during the closure period.
Meanwhile, the state government has appealed to the people with coronavirus like symptoms to stay indoor and take treatment at the hospital to prevent the spread of the deadly pandemic, a state health department official said.
However, Mizoram has not reported any confirmed case of deadly coronavirus till date.
The official said the state government through an advisory appealed to the people, who suffer from fever, cold, cough, and respiratory problem, not to attend school, college, church, public gathering and venture outside, especially market places.
People with such symptoms are also advised to stay at home and go to the hospital or doctors for immediate treatment, the official said.
The official further said the advisory order was issued as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus though the state has not reported any confirmed case of the virus to date.
Oppositions Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and Congress have appealed to the state government to expedite screening at Vairengte along the border with Assam.