UGC directs Universities to avoid large gathering: CBSC allows examinees to wear masks

University Grants Commission has directed universities across the country to avoid any large gathering in the wake of dreaded COVID-19 impacting more and more people and also advised that students and staff members with travel history to the virus-affected countries be quarantined at home for 14 days. UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain, has said in a communication to Vice Chancellors of all universities, to make sure that the staff and the students take necessary precautions to stay safe. Large gatherings on campus should be avoided and any student or staff with travel history to any COVID-19 affected country or in contact with such persons in last 28 days should be monitored and home quarantined for 14 days. Meanwhile, the Delhi government has directed to suspend morning assembly as a precautionary measure. Meanwhile, WHO says the total number of coronavirus affected cases in the world as of yesterday was 93,090, of which, more than 80,000 cases were reported from China. About the death toll, the report said that more than 2900 persons died in China while, 214 died elsewhere. The WHO has also issued a series of guidelines for the people to prevent the spreading of the disease and pointed out that if a person is not staying in an area where the disease is spreading or not travelled to such an area, the risk factor is very low. The WHO guidelines said that a person should clean hands frequently with alcohol-based hand rub or soap to kill germs. The WHO advised maintenance of social distance, that is, maintaining at least one-meter distance from a person who is coughing or sneezing. (photo courtesy to firstpost.com)