No need to shut schools, colleges in Gujarat: Dy CM Patel

Gandhinagar, March 13 Assessing the state's preparedness against the COVID-19 scare, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said on Friday that unlike other states' preventive measures, there was no need to shut down schools and colleges in Gujarat for now against the possible threat of COVID-19.

Patel said, "Right now, we are having a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani regarding the present situation against the possible threat of COVID-19. We will be mulling on what and which type of restrictions to be placed following the recent guidelines by the central government."

As to whether the Gujarat government was mulling shutting schools and colleges as other states have done, the Deputy Chief Minister said that there was no such need right now.

"There is not a single positive case in the state of the coronavirus. Looking at that and looking at all the precautionary measures we are taking against the threat, we don't think that there is any necessity to shut down colleges and schools for now," said Patel.

"The state is fully prepared and we have provisioned everything needed for the fight against the possible threat. Right now we are creating awareness amongst school and college students regarding the coronavirus. People are also cooperating and avoiding mass gatherings and the people are getting more and more aware about the disease," said Patel.

( With inputs from IANS )