Mumbai, March 16: Following the Maharashtra government's orders, popular amusement parks in Mumbai, EsselWorld and Water Kingdom, will remain closed for visitors till March 31. EsselWorld and Water Kingdom in Borivali's Gorai will be shut to prevent the spread of coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19. The state government sent a notice to EsselWorld and Water Kingdom on Sunday and the parks were shut within an hour. Mumbai's Siddhivinayak & Prabhadevi Temples Closed For Devotees to Prevent Spread of COVID-19.

"EsselWorld has been operational since 1989 and Water Kingdom since 1998, yet we have not closed for a single day since then. But this coronavirus crisis is unprecedented, and although we will lose some amount of revenue, we need to close our premises to protect our staff and our guests," Paresh Mishra, senior vice president, sales and marketing, EsselWorld Leisure, was quoted by Times of India as saying. Coronavirus In Maharashtra: Mindspace Airoli in Navi Mumbai to be Evacuated and Being Sanitised.

Since the amusement parks will remain shut, those who have booked tickets for March can either seek a refund or use it until June. Besides EsselWorld and Water Kingdom, EsselWorld Bird Park and the newly-launched kids' zone, Tic Tac Tot, were also remain shut. The state has recorded 39 cases of coronavirus, highest in the country. All educational institutes have been ordered to suspend lectures till March 31.

Earlier today, Mumbai's famed 220-year old Siddhivinayak Temple decided to shut down for an "indefinite period" though its Health Department, which provides medical aid to the needy persons, will function as usual.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 16, 2020 10:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).