Coronavirus outbreak: Bihar Diwas celebrations postponed; schools, colleges closed till March 31

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PATNA: The Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government on Friday (March 13, 2020) ordered the closure of all school and colleges in the state till March 31 amid Coronavirus outbreak. The announcement was made by state’s Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar in a press briefing that all schools and colleges will be shut down till March 31 in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

However, the CBSE and ICSE board exams will continue until the respective boards decide to postpone it. Meanwhile, the state government also postponed all events planned for Bihar Diwas, which is celebrated on March 22 every year, due to coronavirus outbreak. 

“We are planning to celebrate Bihar Diwas in the month of April,” he said. “We are requesting the local institutional bodies to cancel their internal examinations if possible,” he added.

The state government also suspended till further orders the functioning of around 1.5 lakh 'anganwadis' in all districts of Bihar.

The Chief Secretary also informed that all cinema halls, Anganbadi Kendras, parks, zoo, the museum will also be closed and all sports and cultural activities will be cancelled in the state.

Till date, India has reported 75 positive cases of COVID- 19 including one death due to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Patna Medical College and Hospital also cancelled the leave of all its doctors and other staff in view of the coronavirus scare across the country.

The medical staff has been asked to remain on an alert mode. Though no coronavirus case has been reported in Bihar so far, one suspected case is admitted in the third-floor isolation ward of the PIMS, the largest health facility in the eastern state.

The suspected patient, hailing from Samastipur district, had arrived here from Dubai a few days ago, it was learnt. The Bihar Startup Enclave, scheduled to be held in the state capital on March 14, too stands cancelled.