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Sikkim throws open Yumthang Valley in Lachung for tourists

The Sikkim government on Wednesday threw open Yumthang Valley in Lachung village for tourists, a week after it allowed similar relaxations in other famous destinations such as Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir and Nathula, a notification said. Lachung Dzumsa, a local body that controls tourism activities in the North Sikkim village, welcomed the decision and said that strict adherence to COVID guidelines will be ensured. Tourists were seen thronging the East Sikkim destinations of Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir after those were opened for visitors last week. The state government will decide on opening up another much-visited destination of Gurudongmar Lake in Lachen village in North Sikkim for tourists after holding a meeting with Lachen Dzumsa next week, an official said. Tourist destinations in the Himalayan state were closed for visitors from March this year after a surge in COVID-19 cases. The administration had in July started allowing tourists with fully vaccinated certificates to enter the state and permitted hotels and homestays to operate at 50 per cent capacity.

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Netherlands updates travel requirements for Indians; fully-vaccinated travellers can apply for any visa

Announcing some relief for Indian travellers willing to visit the Netherlands, the Embassy of the Netherlands in India announced that fully vaccinated travellers can apply for any visa category with prior appointments. This facility is only available to those jabbed with Covishield vaccine as it is currently the only vaccine recognised by the Dutch government. Travellers vaccinated with Covaxin or who have not been vaccinated can only travel if they fall under one of the EU entry ban exemptions, tweeted the Embassy. Carrying recent negative RT_PCR test report is necessary while travellers will mandatorily have to self-quarantine for 10 days even if they are vaccinated. The statement said that a fine will be imposed in case of non-compliance of the rules. Earlier, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, New Delhi had restarted accepting visa applications for a few categories in July 2021. Checklist for Indian travellers planning a visit to The Netherlands: 1. EU entry ban for high-risk areas outside the EU/Schengen area A European entry ban is in effect for some people, barring them from travelling to the European Union or the Schengen area. You may only enter the Netherlands if the purpose of your trip falls under one of the exemption categories. For example, people who have been fully vaccinated can be exempted from the EU entry ban. 2. Mandatory quarantine Self-quarantine for 10 days at home or in your accommodation is mandatory if you travel/return to the Netherlands after staying in very high-risk countries. This requirement also applies even if you have been vaccinated. You must be able to show a completed, printed and signed quarantine declaration. If you get tested on day 5 you might be able to shorten the quarantine period. You may be exempt from the mandatory quarantine requirement depending on the purpose of your trip. 3. Negative Covid-19 test result You must be able to show a negative Covid-19 test result. This applies to everyone aged 12 or over and even if you have been vaccinated. The type of mandatory negative test result you need depends on the mode of transport you use. 4. Health declaration If you are travelling by air, you must fill in a health declaration (only when aged 13 or above) and carry it with you. Some airlines allow you to complete this health declaration digitally when you check in.

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Punjab: Entry allowed for those with negative RT-PCR test or fully vaccinated

Travelling to Punjab will require you to be either fully vaccinated or have a negative RT-PCR test report. As per the latest news reports, the Punjab state government recently announced this, and stated that only those will be allowed entry to the state who comply with the above requirements. The recent directions were issued after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh held a COVID review meeting, where he stated that there will be strict monitoring of people coming from Jammu and Himachal Pradesh. As per an official statement, Singh expressed his concern regarding the positivity rate in Himachal Pradesh and other parts of the country, which in turn has likely pushed Punjab's positivity rate marginally up to 0.2 per cent in the last week. As per a study, cases are likely to double in the next 64 days, the reason why Singh warned the people to be cautious, and announced new restrictions in addition to those already in place. Reportedly, the latest rules will apply to all those entering Punjab by road, air, or rail. The Chief Minister also stated that if anybody fails to meet those aforementioned criteria, they will have to undergo RAT (rapid antigen test) unless they have recently recovered from COVID. While reviewing the state's preparation for an imminent third wave, the Chief Minister further directed the health department to undertake priority sentinel testing for patients at private and government hospitals, travellers at entry points, industries and colonies, government offices, etc. He stated that based on this, districts should formulate strategies for micro-containment zones.

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US eases travel advisory for India to second-lowest level

The US has eased travel advisory for India to its second-lowest level of “exercise increased caution” and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the South Asian nation now has a “moderate level of Covid-19.” "Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorised vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC's specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers,” the state department said on Monday. The US state department also urged American citizens not to travel to Jammu and Kashmir, except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital of Leh, due to terrorism and civil unrest. They have also been advised not to travel within 10km of the India-Pakistan border due to the potential for armed conflict. US President Joe Biden on April 30 imposed new travel restrictions on India in light of Covid-19, barring most non-US citizens from entering the United States who had been in India within the previous 14 days. The CDC and state department also warned against travel to Turkey because of a rising number of Covid-19 cases. The CDC added Turkey to its "Level 4: Very High" Covid-19 level and the state department also issued a "Level 4: Do Not Travel" advisory. The US, in addition to India, currently bars most non-US citizens who within the last 14 days have been in the United Kingdom, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without internal border controls, or in Ireland, China, South Africa, Iran and Brazil. The CDC currently lists more than 70 countries at its travel advisory rating. On Monday, India's Covid-19 caseload mounted to 32,225,513 as it recorded 32,937 fresh infections and the death toll climbed to 431,642 after 417 more people succumbed to the coronavirus disease. Active cases of Covid-19 came down to 381,947, the lowest in 145 days.

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Assam eases curfew, inter-district travel restrictions

The Assam government on Tuesday eased COVID-19 restrictions to allow inter-district movement from Wednesday, with the exception of Kamrup (Metro). Curfew timings across the state have also been revised to start from 7 pm. “Inter-district movement of private vehicle and movement of people shall be allowed except to and from Kamrup (Metro) District. Inter-district public transport, however, shall remain suspended,” a government notification said. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) issued a revised and consolidated directive on Tuesday for both rural and urban areas, which will remain in force w.e.f. 5 AM of August 18, 2021 until further orders. KEY POINTS: Night curfew time will be from 7 PM to 5 AM across Assam. All work places, business and commercial establishments, dine-in restaurants, hotels, resorts, dhabas and other eateries, takeaway of food items from restaurants, shops dealing with groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, animal fodder will be open up to 6 PM across the state. Inter-district movement of private vehicle and movement of people shall be allowed except to and from Kamrup (Metro) District. Inter-district public transport, however, shall remain suspended. The physical classes in respect of final year of graduate and post-graduate Engineering and Medical Colleges, GNM, nursing courses and that of Aeronautical Engineering College may be allowed to be started with fully vaccinated students. Meetings or gatherings at any open or closed spaces is allowed up to 200 persons in open spaces (for public function) and up to 50% of the hall capacity or 200 fully vaccinated persons, whichever is lower, in closed venues. For functions related to national or international days the ceiling will be upto 50% capacity of the hall Public gathering is allowed up to 25 persons for marriage/funeral programme. Religious places are allowed to open with up to 20 fully vaccinated persons per hour for iconic places and 10 persons per hour for other religious places Cinema and theatres will continue to remain closed. Wearing of face mask is compulsory in all public places. Excise authority will take strong action against illegal production and sale of country liquor in all the districts. Other restrictions, including declaration of containment zones etc. and exemptions as notified in the order of August 9, 2021 shall continue to remain in force except those specifically modified by this order.

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British Airways increases weekly flights between India and UK

British Airways on Tuesday said it has increased flights between India and the UK to 20 weekly flights, from 10, starting 16 August. The decision came after the Indian government allowed UK carriers to operate additional flights, increasing the weekly cap from 15 to 34. "British Airways will now operate 20 direct return flights across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad providing convenient options for customers wanting to travel to London, Heathrow," the airline said in a statement. "These flights will not only reunite several people who have been kept apart from their loved ones due to covid-19 but also provide convenient options to eligible students to connect to the UK and US on the airlines’ codeshare partner American Airlines," it added. The UK government recently moved India to the amber list (medium alert) from the high alert red list, paving a way for increasing flights between them. This also means that fully vaccinated passengers travelling between India and UK will no longer be obligated to adhere to the 10-day hotel quarantine rule. The flights between India and UK fall under the bilateral air bubble agreement as scheduled international flights continue to remain suspended at least till 31 August. A bilateral air bubble is a mechanism to resume flights between India and other nations with preconditions during the pandemic. Currently, India has bilateral air bubble agreements with about 28 countries, including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, the Maldives, Nepal, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Ukraine, the UAE, the UK, Uzbekistan and the US.

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