Bengal govt orders bars, restaurants to remain shut until March 31

Kolkata, Mar 22: The West Bengal government on Saturday ordered all restaurants, bars, pubs, nightclubs, amusement parks, museums and zoos to remain shut till March 31 as a precautionary measure in wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a senior official said.

The order, which aims to prevent all non-essential social gatherings, comes into effect on Sunday morning, he said.

The directive also applies to massage parlours and hookah bars, the official said, adding that strict action would be taken in case of any violation.

"In order to further check non-essential social gatherings which lead to spread of the virus from infected persons to healthy persons we have ordered the shutdown," the official said.

Three persons, with travel history to the UK, have tested positive for the coronavirus in West Bengal.