Schools, colleges to remain shut in UP till March 22: Yogi

Lucknow, March 13
All schools and colleges in Uttar Pradesh have been closed till March 22 in view of the coronavirus scare.

Talking to reporters after holding a meeting on COVID-19, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the government would review the decision on March 20 and then decide on the future course of action.

He said the government had issued an advisory about a month and a half ago, asking people to take precautions.

He said that wearing a mask was not necessary for everyone and that the government was also looking into reports of masks being sold at a premium.

Replying to a question, the Chief Minister said the state had set up isolation wards in every district and laboratories were also being set up in BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur and BHU in Varanasi, apart from Lucknow.

He said that 4,100 doctors had been trained to deal with coronavirus patients.

THe Chief Minister said that people should avoid mass gatherings and frequently wash their hands.

"There should be no panic on coronavirus," he added.

He said the state government was not declaring coronavirus as an epidemic because the situation was under control. He said thermal analyzers have been installed along the Nepal border to detect patients and isolate them.

"In all, only 11 positive cases have been detected in the state; 10 are being treated in Delhi and one in Lucknow," he said.