COVID-19 update: Himachal Pradesh issues new travel guidelines, restrictions - Check here

As India continues to witness a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, various state governments have issued travel restrictions and guidelines to curb the spread of the disease.

The latest addition to this is Himachal Pradesh. The state government on Sunday (April 11) made it mandatory for people coming from seven high load states to produce a RT-PCR negative report obtained within 72 hours of entry, from April 16 onwards.

These high load states are Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

This was part of the state government’s fresh guidelines issued by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur following a spike in Covid-19 cases across the state.

The government has allowed tourists to visit the state as of now, but has also directed hotel owners and tourists to strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures (SoPs) issued by the government, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said.

Calling it a matter of concern, the CM said that during the last 45 days, the state has reported 10,690 new COVID-19 cases, while with 120 fatalities the number of deaths have also increased rapidly.

Under the new guidelines, devotees in the state have been allowed to visit temples during the Navratri festival but they will have to perform ‘puja’ and ‘darshan’ by maintaining social distancing and using face masks. 

However, organising ‘langars’ or community kitchens and ‘jagran’ have been banned by the government. No overcrowding would be allowed in buses and public transport vehicles, the CM said.

Earlier this week, the state government had restricted gatherings in marriage ceremonies to 50 people indoor and maximum of 200 in open space while only 50 persons would be allowed to attend funerals.

The state currently has 4,659 active cases of COVID-19, as per the Union Health Ministry.

(With agency inputs)