The Delhi government on Thursday ordered to shut all primary schools, both government owned and private, till March-end amid the COVID-19 scare particularly in the Indian capital where as many as 17 new cases have been detected in this week alone.
Among the positive cases found in Delhi 15 are Italian nationals, while the rest two are Indians.
Delhi's Education Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted on Thursday "As a precautionary measure to prevent the possibility of spread of COVID-19 amongst our children, Delhi Government has directed immediate closure of all primary schools till 31/3/2020."
Meanwhile, in another related development, the Delhi government suspended the use of biometric attendance for all officers and officials in a bid to control spread of COVID-19.
According to an order issued on Thursday by the Delhi government, the step was taken in view of COVID-19 threat "which is a contagious virus that causes respiratory infection can transfer from human to human on their touch of common object."
So far as many as 30 positive COVID-19 cases have been detected in India. These include 27 new cases detected this week - 15 Italian nationals in Delhi, two Indians in Delhi, two Italians in western city of Jaipur, six Indians in northern city of Agra, one in northern city of Gurugram, and one in southern state of Telangana.
The first three cases detected in southern state of Kerala had already been successfully cured last month.
