Closing of schools, malls should be maintained till March 31 to combat COVID-19: Health Ministry

New Delhi [India], Mar 16 (ANI): Important measures including the closing of schools, swimming pools, malls, and allowing employees to work from home should be maintained to fight the menace of coronavirus in the country, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, here on Monday.
Addressing media persons, Aggarwal said: "Important measures including the closing of schools, swimming pools, malls, allow employees to work from home, less use of public transport, one-metre distance between people should be maintained till March 31."
He said that travel advisory has been tightened to contain the spread of COVID-19 in high-risk areas.
"Travel advisory has been tightened to contain the spread of COVID-19 in high-risk areas," he said.
"Expanding compulsory quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days for passengers coming from, transiting through UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 18, 2020, at the port of the first departure," he said.
"Travel from the member countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the United Kingdom to India is prohibited with effect from March 18, 2020. No airline should board a passenger from these countries from 1200 GMT March 18, 2020," he added.
Aggarwal said that contact tracing activity of the positive cases has led to the identification of more than 5,200 contacts, who are kept under surveillance.
Dammu Ravi of the Ministry of External Affairs said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook extraordinary initiative with the SAARC leaders and they responded positively."
"The 24x7 MEA COVID-19 control room has now become operational," he added.
A total of 114 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in India so far including 13 cured and two reported deaths. (ANI)