Sasan Gir village in Junagadh district, renowned as the gateway to the Gir Lion Sanctuary and National Park, on Monday went into a self-imposed four-day lockdown in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The decision was taken at a meeting in the village on Monday which was attended by shopkeepers and hoteliers after two people tested positive for the virus, said Sasan village sarpanch Jumabhai Katiya.
“To stop further spread of the virus, we thought the only way was to completely stop human interaction. So we have unanimously decided to observe a self-imposed lockdown for four days, starting Monday,” he said.
Sasan Gir has a population of around 3,500, while some 5,000 tourists arrive every day during peak season to catch a glimpse of the magnificent Asiatic lion in its last abode.
There are over 200 hotels in and around Sasan along with numerous eateries.
“Luckily there are no tourists to manage at present. We got total support for the lockdown ,” Mr. Katiya said.
