A woman died in Maharahstra today after contracting the coronavirus infection, taking the death count in India to three. Maharashtra has reported maximum cases of the highly contagious illness in India. Coronavirus or COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. The death in Maharashtra comes as number of COVID-19 cases rose to 125 in India.
India’s iconic monument Taj Mahal has shut down to halt the spread of the coronavirus, officials say.
The culture ministry said tens of thousands visit the “monument of love” every day and it was “imperative to shut it down”. The Taj Mahal is one of the world’s leading tourist attractions, and draws as many as 70,000 people every day.
Culture Minister Prahlad Patel said all the 143 monuments and museums would remain shut until 31 March and the decision would be reviewed after the shutdown period. The actions taken by Government of India to reduce the virus spread has been nothing short of spectacular. PM Modi is closely accessing the situation.
Amid widespread scare, the government has also declared a countrywide lockdown of schools, colleges, gyms and swimming pools — crowded areas that could allow for exponential spread of the virus.
