Himachal Pradesh clamps 10-day ‘Corona curfew’ from Thursday midnight

In view of the unrelenting spike in COVID cases, the Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday imposed a ‘Corona curfew’ across the state for 10 days. The decision was taken in an all party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in Shimla on Wednesday.

The curfew will come in force from the midnight of May 6 and remain in place till May 16, an official spokesperson of the state government disclosed.

Among other curbs, entry to the state for outsiders will not be allowed without a negative RT-PCR test report.

All government and private offices and establishments would remain close till May 16 while educational institutions in the state would remain closed till May 31.

Essential services related to health, electricity, telecommunication, water supply, sanitation etc. would continue to operate.

Work will also continue at civil work sites, horticultural, agricultural and other projects.

The annual examination of Class X of Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBSE) has also been cancelled. All the students

would be promoted to Class XI by the Board as per the norms suggested by the CBSE for its students for the Class X examination.

It was also decided that Class XII examinations of the state education Board and annual examination of colleges would also remain suspended till further orders.

All government and private transport would ply at 50 percent of occupancy and inter-state transport would continue.

Industrial establishments would operate as per the guidelines issued by the state government, the spokesperson informed.

The state on Tuesday recorded the highest single-day spike of 3,824 fresh COVID-19 cases and 48 deaths. The COVID death toll in the state now stands at 1,647 and tally of those who have tested positive has gone to 1,10,945.

Of the state's new casualties, 15 were reported in the worst-hit district of Kangra, following 11 in Solan, six in Sirmaur, four each in Shimla and Hamirpur, three in Una, two each in Chamba and Kullu and one in Mandi, as per Special Health Secretary Nipun Jindal.