COVID19: Manipur governor orders closure of all malls, restaurants

Imphal: In view of a drastic increase in the number of coronavirus cases across the world, Manipur governor Najma Heptulla on Saturday ordered closure of all shopping malls/complex, restaurants and public eating joints across the state, except groceries, vegetables and chemists.

Hotels with restaurants are to serve food in the room for their guests.

The order comes with immediate effect until further notice, it said.

To prevent from spread or transmission of the deadly virus, social distancing or keeping a physical distance from each other is the most effective step that can be taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the statement said.

Governor Heptulla also instructed the authorities to seal all the tourist places in the state, public gathering halls like conference halls, cinema halls and drama theatres to avoid spread of COVID-19.

As per the notice issued, in case of an unavoidable family functions pertaining to religious rituals and ceremonies, the gathering is restricted up to 30 people.

Moreover, following a meeting of all the administrative secretaries and heads of the departments headed by chief secretary J Suresh Babu on Saturday, the state government decided to bar visitors from entering Manipur secretariat, including all blocks, wings and buildings both in the South and the North block as well the chief minister’s secretariat with immediate effect, it said.

It may also mentioned that chief minister N Biren Singh on Friday ordered the closure of the main Ima Keithel aka Mother’s Market, among others, in the state capital starting from March 21 to 25.

The closure will also include all kinds of street vendors in the state.