Bihar govt orders closure of malls, gyms; restricts mass

The Bihar government on Wednesday ordered all shopping malls, gyms, spas and swimming pools across the state to suspend their operations till March 31 in view of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Invoking the 'Bihar Epidemic Diseases, COVID 19 Regulations, 2020', which came into force on Tuesday, the state government said in a notification that the restrictions were "with immediate effect".

It also restricted "all mass gatherings, including family gatherings except marriages" to a "maximum of 50 persons" and directed major shops and restaurants to carry out disinfection twice a day ensure ample availability of hand sanitizers for visitors and allowing "entry only after cleaning of hands".

The government had last week ordered closure of all schools, colleges, coaching institutes, cinema halls, zoos, museums and parks till March 31 as a preventive measure.