Coronavirus: All schools, colleges in UP to be shut till March 22

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday declared closure of all schools and colleges where examination process is not going on till March 22 in view of coronavirus scare and asserted that all precautions are being taken to check the spread of the disease.

"All schools and colleges associated with the basic, secondary, higher education and vocational colleges, where examination process is not on, have been closed till March 22," Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told newspersons here.

Wherever the examination process is underway it will go on as per schedule. The concerning people have been instructed to take all precautionary measures and maintain hygiene, the chief minister said.

So far, 11 coronavirus cases have been reported from the state of which 10 are being treated in Delhi and one in KGMU, Lucknow, he said, adding that these include seven from Agra, two from Ghaziabad and one each from Noida and Lucknow.

Yogi, who convened a high-level meeting of senior officials to deliberate on coronavirus, said an alert in this regard had been declared about a one and a half months ago and necessary advisory was also issued.

Isolation wards have been set up in all the 75 districts and medical staff of doctors, paramedical, nursing staff is being provided necessary training.

Stressing on adopting all precautions to check the spread of the disease, specially at airports on Indo-Nepal border areas, he said there is an effort to avoid mass gatherings for which an appeal was made to the BCCI for the India-South Africa match slated in Lucknow on Saturday.

The match will now be held without spectators but would be telecast live, the chief minister said.