Vigilance at tourist spots increased amid overcrowding in Himachal Pradesh

Shimla : After viral visuals of tourists roaming mask-less in hill stations at Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla chaired a meeting on Saturday to review what steps have been taken by the state governments to counter the situation.

During the meeting, Mr Bhalla alerted authorities to stay vigilant and ensure that the people are following COVID appropriate behaviour as the second wave is not over yet.

He also discussed the overall vaccination status in Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.

The meeting was called primarily to discuss the decline of coronavirus cases differently in several districts. He mentioned that the overall positivity rate may be declining in the nation but there are some districts which have been reporting a positivity rate of more than 10.

On the other hand, the Himachal Pradesh Police has deployed extra dedicated force to enforce COVID19 appropriate behaviour in tourist hot spots like Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Rohtang Tunnel, Kasauli & Dalhousie.

"The second wave is not over yet and states must ensure that the coronavirus-related guidelines are being strictly followed," Mr Bhalla said during the meeting.

States were also asked to follow the five-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and COVID Appropriate Behaviour, as has been laid out in the MHA order dated June 29, 2021.