COVID-19: Rajkot Gold Dealers Association orders shut down of 400 jewellery showrooms in city

The Rajkot Gold Dealers Association has ordered the shutting down of over 400 jewellery showrooms till March 24 as a precautionary measure amid the coronavirus threat.

The Rajkot Gold Dealers Association has ordered the shutting down of over 400 jewellery showrooms till March 24 as a precautionary measure amid the coronavirus threat. "Gujarat already has seven positive cases and one of them is from Rajkot. So, we have decided to shut down all the showrooms as a precautionary measure against the spread of the virus. We do not know who comes to the showroom and we have to ensure the safety of our staff. So, we have decided to shut down till Tuesday," Bhayabhai Saholiya, President of Gold Dealers Association, told ANI.

"Rajkot has more than 400 gold and silver showrooms and more than 50,000 gold artists who work in manufacturing units. We have ordered shutting down of all the manufacturing units for some days in the public interest," Saholiya added. Three more people were tested positive for COVID-19 in Gujarat on Friday, while two are from Ahmedabad the third one is from Vadodara, said Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare.

According to the Union Health Ministry, a total of seven people have been tested positive for coronavirus in Gujarat till now. The total number of positive coronavirus cases in India is 271, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The Health Ministry has issued an advisory on measures to enforce social distancing and has suggested shutting down of all educational institutions, gymnasiums, museums, cultural and social centres, swimming pools and theatres till March 31.

The government has also imposed travel restrictions prohibiting entry of all passengers from the European Union, European Free Trade Association, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, the Philippines and Afghanistan. (ANI)

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