BAI to shut down office in view of coronavirus outbreak

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Friday announced that it would be shutting down its office for the next few days as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus pandemic.

Ajay K Singhania, the general secretary of BAI further said that the decision would be reviewed after March 31.

"After assessing the situation and discussions with various stakeholders, it was observed as the best solution for the health and wellbeing of our staff," Singhania said in an official statement.

BAI has asked all its employees to work from home and should visit the office only when necessary.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also appealed to citizens to follow 'Janta curfew' on March 22 in the view of novel coronavirus pandemic.

The total number of positive cases of COVID-19 in India stands at 195, including 32 foreigners. Four deaths (one each) have been reported in Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab, and Maharashtra.

The World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11.

More than 240,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus worldwide.