SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh government has made negative COVID-19 report or full vaccination mandatory for all people intending to visit the hill state from August 13.
In a late night order on Tuesday, Chief Secretary Ram Subhag Singh stated, "All persons intending to visit State shall carry their COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate (double doses) or a negative RT-PCR test report not older than 72 hours or RAT negative report not older than 24 hours w.e.f.13th August, 2021."
Issuing the two-page order after the state cabinet meeting, Singh stated, "The situation of COVID-19 in the state has been reviewed. It is observed that the number of COVID-19 active cases and positivity rate are increasing in the state and the situation is still precarious."
In its earlier order on August 6, the state government made mandatory a negative RT-PCR report or full vaccination for visiting temples in the state during 'Shrawan Ashtmi Navratras' from August 9 to August 17.
Further, it has also been decided that all schools would remain closed except residential ones from August 11 to 22.
However, teaching and non-teaching staff members will attend schools, the order stated.
The education department will frame Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the residential schools for containment of COVID-19, it added.
The order further stated, "Inter-state, Inter-district and Intra-district movement of public transport buses (state/ contract carriages) is now allowed to be operated with 50% of the registered seating capacity w.e.f.13th August, 2021."
For inter-state public transport buses, the transport department shall frame mechanism for checking of RTPCR/ RAT/vaccine certificate so that only eligible persons will board the buses, it added.
The state recorded 419 fresh coronavirus cases and two deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections and fatalities to 2,08,616 and 3,521 respectively.
A total of 185 patients cured from the infection, according to the data provided by state health department.
Few days ago, the number of active cases had dipped to around 800 but the sudden surge took the figure to 2,318 on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur also expressed concern in the State Assembly on Monday over the increasing number of Covid cases.