The Himachal Pradesh government on Sunday made it compulsory for people coming from seven states which have observed a wave in coronavirus cases to show a COVID-19 negative test report on entering the state.
People coming from Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh need to carry a negative RT-PCR report not earlier than 72 hours while visiting Himachal Pradesh from April 16, said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
He made the statement while directing over a meeting with senior officers to study the coronavirus situation in the state.
Mr Thakur said the decision has been made to check the spread of COVID-19 in the state and a bulletin in this regard will be issued soon.
All the educational institutions had been closed by the Himachal Pradesh government till April 21 and also restricted gatherings at marriage ceremonies to 50 people indoors and with a maximum of 200 for outdoors.
Moreover, only 50 people have been allowed to attend funerals.
Showing concern over the wave in COVID-19 cases in the last 45 days, the Chief Minister said 10,691 new infections and 120 deaths had been reported in the state from February 23 to April 10, pushing the tally to 69,114 and fatality count to 1,102.
The number of active cases has risen from just 218 on February 23 to 5,223 on April 10, he added.
“The virus is now spreading with more pace as compared to last year and several school going students were being infected by the virus,” he said, appealing to people to stick to COVID protocols.
Believers are allowed to visit temples in the state during the Navratri festival, but holding ”langars”, ”bhandaras” and ”jagran” has been completely banned, he said
Mr Thakur said the carelessness shown by people has resulted in a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the state.
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