The Maharashtra Government on Friday invoked the Epidemic Act which empowers the state to forcibly admit a person with coronavirus symptoms to a hospital wherein tests are required.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday also announced the closure of schools for students belonging to Class 1 to Class 9 in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Schools in Mumbai will remain operational.
The Chief Minister said that these schools would remain closed until further notice.
Exams for 10th and 12th standard students however will continue as normal.
The number of coronavirus cases in the state has now risen to 17. This includes 10 people in Pune, three in Nagpur, three in Mumbai and one person in Thane.
The Chief Minister said that in light of the rising threat that the virus poses, all gyms, swimming pools and drama and cinema theatres in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Pimri Chinchwad and Nagpur would remain shut midnight on Friday.
Coronavirus helplines and testing centres as given by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
Helpline number: 011-2398046
Email address: novc2019@gmail.com
Testing centres in Maharashtra:
Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Mumbai
Indira Gandhi Government Medical College in Nagpur
