Gandhinagar, March 15 (IANS): Amid coronavirus spread, the Gujarat government has decided to shut down all the schools, colleges and other educational institutes for two weeks from Monday.

The state has also banned spitting in public and made it a punishable offence.

As the country witnessed the third death on the third consecutive day and the declaration of COVID-19 a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Gujarat government springing into action, decided to shut down all its educational institutes for two week starting from tomorrow.

"The Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel held a high level meeting and reviewed the health situation in the state. The meeting has decided that we will be shutting down all our schools colleges and other educational institutes for 2 weeks starting from Monday. The ongoing board exams, however, will continue as scheduled. We have also decided to shutdown cinema halls and swimming pools for the same period," said Jayanti Ravi, the principal secretary health and family welfare department, Gujarat.

"Moreover, we have banned the act of spitting in public and those violating it shall be fined Rs 500 by the local body authorities," added Ravi.

"The government has also requested all the religious institutes in the state to hold off all functions, events concerning mass gathering for two weeks from now," said Ravi.