Himachal Pradesh: Educational institutions to remain closed till mid-April

SHIMLA: Educational institutions in Himachal Pradesh will remain closed till April 15 due to the ongoing COVID-19 surge, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Thursday.

The state government had earlier closed schools, colleges and other educational institutions from March 27 to April 4, but the closure has now been extended upto April 15, he told reporters in Kullu.

The chief minister said that the three Himachal Pradesh districts bordering Punjab such as Una, Kangra and Solan are registering a large number of new COVID-19 cases these days. The state government has already put some restrictions on social gatherings and started a strict enforcement of mask wearing, he said, adding that the hoteliers have been asked to follow COVID-19 guidelines.

Himachal Pradesh currently has 32,21 active COVID-19 cases, up from around 200 cases on February 25. Una (712), Kangra (684) and Solan (527) are currently the worst-hit districts, data released by the state health department stated. However, the tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti have seven and zero active cases, respectively, it added.

The hill state recorded 409 new COVID-19 cases, while four patients succumbed to the virus on Thursday, the data added. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state has reached to 64,014 and the death toll to 1,039 on Thursday, it added.

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