People have started cancelling their planned events in hotels, resort and marriage palaces and preferring restaurants, which has fewer crowds, to organise events and functions as a precautionary measure in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in Doaba region.
The region, which is famous as NRIs hub, has suffered a severe blow after the Union government decided not to issue visas to foreigners.
Manoj Gupta, manager of Cabbana resort, on Phagwara-Jalandhar highway said that the business has been hit badly and organisers have postponed at least 20 scheduled events, including a marriage function, in the resort.
A partner of Kay Gee resorts in Phagwara, Darshan Lal, said that organisers have cancelled all their upcoming events due to fear of COVID-19.
“Some organisers, including NRIs who could not come to India, due to visa restrictions or whose relatives cannot make it to their functions have either postponed or cancelled the celebrations,” he said.
Hotels have similar story to narrate. “Many people who had booked rooms online for this month have cancelled them, while there is no business in sight for even next month due to panic created by the virus,” said Rajan Chopra, managing director of Ramada Hotel, Jalandhar.
Jalandhar civil surgeon Dr Gurinder Chawla said over 700 people have been screened in the district and tests of 12 suspected patients were conducted and all turned out to be negative.
{{/usCountry}}Jalandhar civil surgeon Dr Gurinder Chawla said over 700 people have been screened in the district and tests of 12 suspected patients were conducted and all turned out to be negative.
{{/usCountry}}Agriculture department also organised an awareness session for the farmers on Saturday in Jalandhar. Chief agriculture officer (CEO) Surinder Singh asked the farmers to take all possible precautions to keep coronavirus at bay.