Officials instructed to regulate visitors, enforce COVID rules

Shimla | TNR
Himachal Pradesh government would not impose restrictions on tourists keen to visit the state despite the possible danger of a corona third wave.
CM returns from Delhi
Following his return from Delhi on Monday, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur told officials concerned at the state secretariat that tourists were making a beeline for hill stations in Himachal after several months
Spread of Corona has impacted tourism industry
Spread of corona has impacted tourism industry in the state, he said adding that the lives of thousands of people in this hill state depend on tourists and hence it would not be wise to stop them from visiting Himachal. Instead, the influx has to be regulated, he said.
Medical authorities concerned
Medical authorities, among others, had sought restrictions on the visit to the state by tourists and had demanded that producing of a negative RT-PCR report be made mandatory for those entering Himachal Pradesh. Rising Corona cases in many states of India as well as abroad and especially the spread of Delta variant cases has got many worried
Covid rules are not being enforced in many towns
Following directives from Himachal Pradesh High Court strictness was being maintained somewhat in Shimla but Covid 19 rules were not being implemented strictly in places like Manali, Kasauli, McLeodganj, Kufri, Narkanda, Rohtang and Dalhousie and these places could become super spreaders. The Chief Minister said that all district collectors and superintendents of police have been instructed to regulate tourist traffic in the state and enforce Covid 19 rules.
CM’s plea
The CM has urged tourists not to venture near rivers and rivulets as there is no saying when they would be in spate due to heavy rainfall. Fun and frolic near river bodies could prove dangerous, he added.The CM issued instructions to Public Works Department officials and staff to ensure that roads are open for vehicular traffic and visitors are not stranded anywhere.