Hamirpur/Shimla, Mar 20 :The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to close all the ongoing fairs and festivals with an immediate effect and those in operation will have to wind up by March 23.

The state cabinet on Friday night decided to take this step in view of the upsurge in the activities of the COVID-19 in the state. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

However, no decision has been made about the educational institutions where annual examinations are going on these days.

Official sources said that the state government had also issued an order for making it mandatory of ‘no mask, no service’ order throughout the state.

The Chief Minister is going to have a meeting with the DC’s and SP’s of the state through videoconferencing today to discuss the latest issue and the action to be taken by them (DC’s and SP’s) in their respective jurisdictions.(UNI)