COVID-19 Threat: Schools shut, biometric attendance suspended in Delhi

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COVID-19 Threat: Schools shut, biometric attendance suspended in Delhi

Coronavirus has spread to more than 60 countries and now has entered India with 29 positive cases

Thursday March 5, 2020 5:51 PM, ummid.com with inputs from IANS

New Delhi: With number of coronavirus cases rising in the country, the Delhi government on Thursday decided to close all primary schools till March 31 and suspend biometric attendance in its offices.

Through a circular, Deputy Secretary of the Delhi government Promila Mitra has asked all Deputy Secretaries and Section Officers to "get biometric attendance of all officers/officials in respective departments suspended till further orders in view of the coronavirus threat, which causes respiratory infection and is contagious and can also spread via touch of common objects."

It refers the source of order as the Special Secretary of the Delhi's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Similarly, informing about the decision to shut primary schools, Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted: "As a precautionary measure to prevent the possibility of spread of COVID-19 amongst our children, the Delhi Government has directed immediate closure of all primary schools (Govt/ aided/ private/MCD/NDMC) till 31/3/20."

Earlier on Tuesday, the Shriram Millennium School in Noida decided to postpone its annual examination and close the school temporarily, following a parent of one of its student testing positive for COVID-19.

Several other private schools in Noida and Delhi have already announced closure of schools for several days as a precautionary measure.

The decision comes in the wake of increasing cases of coronavirus being detected in India. As of Thursday, Health Minister told Parliament that at least 28,529 persons were brought under community surveillance and are being monitored."

The outbreak of the new strain of viruses was reported from China. It spread to more than 60 countries and now has entered India with 29 positive cases, including 01 in Delhi.

Globally, the disease has infected over 90,000 people.

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