Darjeeling out of bounds for tourists There is no bar on movement of tourists in Bengal but Sikkim stopped the entry of all visitors from Tuesday

The closed entrance to the HMI and the zoo in Darjeeling on Tuesday : Telegraph picture

Vivek Chhetri , TT, 18.03.20, Darjeeling : The Queen of the Hills is slowly shutting out tourists with major attractions being closed and homestays deciding not to keep guests till March 31 in the wake of the novel coronavirus .

The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration has decided to convene a meeting with various stakeholders on Wednesday to decide on keeping Darjeeling out of bounds for tourists, both domestic and international.

As of now, there is no bar on movement of tourists in Bengal but Sikkim stopped the entry of all visitors from Tuesday.

Group Captain Jai Kishan, the principal of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, said: “To avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus, the museum, the adventure park and other amenities will remain closed to tourists and visitors till March 31.”

The principal stressed that the decision was taken “not to create panic but to stand together and win our fight against corona”. HMI sources said revised dates for forthcoming mountaineering course, climbathon 2020 and Tenzing Norgay MTB challenge, would be announced later.

The Darjeeling wildlife division closed down Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary, popular tourist spot Tiger Hill and Singalila National Park from Tuesday “until further order.”

Also, members of Mungpoo Eco-tourism Welfare Society, which runs homestays, decided not to accommodate any tourists . Mungpoo is about 30km from Darjeeling.

In Siliguri, three persons have been kept at the isolation ward of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for having suspected symptoms of coronavirus.

Additional reporting by our Siliguri bureau