KG, primary schools closed in TN till March 31; theatres, malls shut

Amid the growing coronavirus scare spreading across the country, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday (March 15) directed closure of all kindergarten and primary schools till March 31 as it stepped up preventive measures against epidemic.

Also read | All schools, colleges, malls, gyms, bars to remain shut in Tamil Nadu till Mar 31

Chief Minister K Palaniswami also issued order for closure of cinema halls and malls where people gather in large numbers till the month end in the taluks in 16 districts bordering neighbouring Kerala and Karnataka, where the number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise, an official release said.

In a series of measures, he also ordered released ₹60 crore from the State Disaster relief fund to spruce up the preventive mechanism for containing the spread of the virus, which, however, has infected only one person in the state so far.

The 45 year old engineer from neighbouring Kancheepuram district is set to be discharged from hospital in coming days as he has recovered and tested negative for COVID-19.