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Himachal makes Covid-19 test must for unvaccinated tourists

With Himachal Pradesh seeing a spike in Covid-19 infections, the state government on Wednesday made it mandatory for visitors to carry their Covid-19 vaccine certificate (single or both doses) or a negative RT-PCR test report issued not earlier than 72 hours. The state government decided to monitor the situation till August 10 and if the infections continue to rise, it will put a cap on social gatherings, public events besides imposing restrictions on crowded places. “The rise in Covid-19 has become a concern again. In view of the situation, it has been decided to re-impose restrictions,” chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said during the state assembly session in Shimla. He said people should stay alert and follow Covid-19 safety norms strictly. Mandi reports most cases Himachal Pradesh has 1,414 active cases at present with the highest number of 318 cases being reported from Mandi district, while Sirmaur has the lowest number of 12 active cases. Coronavirus cases in Chamba, Kangra and Shimla districts have also crossed the 200-mark. A total of 3,507 people have died due to the contagion in the state. No mask-no service policy in force The state executive committee has issued guidelines and asked the field implementation authorities to ensure people observe Covid appropriate behaviour at markets, malls, restaurants, bus stands, railway stations, parks, gymnasiums, banquet halls and sports complexes. The state will continue to observe no mask-no service policy strictly. People will be allowed to board public, private transport and enter any government or private establishment only with masks. All departments and district authorities have been directed to ensure compliance.

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UAE Allows Entry to Travellers From India Starting From 5 August

Good news for international travellers as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has allowed entry to travellers from India starting today! The National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) said on Tuesday, according to Reuters, the UAE will lift a ban on transit flights including from India and Pakistan from August 5. Well, what does that mean? Earlier, the international flights to the UAE from the six countries were suspended owing to the rising Covid-19 cases. Well, the NCEMA has clearly stated that passengers travelling from countries where flights had been banned would be able to transit through its airports from August 5th as long as they present a negative PCR coronavirus test taken 72 hours prior to departure. Countries Where Travel Restrictions Will be Eased? Other than India, the UAE will also ease Covid-related restrictions on Pakistan, Nigeria, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Uganda. According to the latest developments, the UAE government has stated that unvaccinated people in certain job categories can seek permission to return from the same date as well. Notably, the categories of the Indians who will get travel permission include medical workers, teachers at schools and universities in the Emirates, students, residents with extenuating circumstances, people undergoing medical treatment in the UAE and people who work for federal or local government agencies. They would be exempt from the vaccination requirement as would humanitarian cases. The authorities said that the individuals in these categories must apply for permission to return through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship's website. However, they need to present a negative PCR test from accredited laboratories within 48 hours of their date of travel and will be required to undergo a quick lab test before boarding. Dubai state carrier Emirates welcomed the government's decision to allow travel to resume from the affected countries.

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Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi Travel Plans? States That Need RT-PCR Reports, Vaccine Certificates

Right from Ganesh Chaturthi to Raksha Bandhan, August has a fleet of festivals that everyone is looking forward to. This will mean a lot of traveling. However, with current Covid-19 restrictions in place, it is important to understand what are the essential requirements that need to be a part of one’s travel documents. HERE IS A COMPLETE LIST OF STATES THAT REQUIRE RT PCR REPORTS OR VACCINE CERTIFICATES: - The Chhattisgarh government on Tuesday made it mandatory for passengers arriving in the state by air to produce a negative RT-PCR report of COVID-19 test conducted within 96 hours of boarding the flight - Karnataka government has made RT-PCR negative reports mandatory for people entering the state from Kerala and Maharashtra. - In view of the increasing Covid cases in the state, Himachal Pradesh has made negative RT-PCR report not older than 72 hours mandatory for tourists entering the state. Those carrying Covid vaccine certificates, one or both jabs, will be allowed to enter the state. - Chennai passengers travelling from Kerala to Tamil Nadu from August 5 can enter only if they produce a RT-PCR test negative certificate. Passengers coming by any mode of transport should carry the report. - Goa has made RT-PCR reports mandatory for travellers coming from Kerala. - As per the recently revised travel guidelines of the West Bengal government, all in bound flight passengers from Pune, Mumbai & Chennai have to produce a mandatory RT-PCR negative report at the time of boarding for test conducted within 72hrs of flight departure, with effect from 8 August 2021. - Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana do not require negative reports. - Rajasthan and Nagaland do not require a negative report if at least one dose of the vaccine is taken. - Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Odisha, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Meghalaya do not require negative RT-PCR to enter if you have both doses of the vaccine.

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Chandigarh: Covid testing for travel purposes on a rise

WITH a constant decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases in the last one month, many are choosing to travel, with most airlines and many Indian states asking either for a two-dose vaccination certificate or a negative RT-PCR test, which should be not more than 72 hours old. While the private laboratories are giving the result of the test in 24 hours, there have been complaints about delay in reports at government facilities. This week, a resident of Sector 36, Chandigarh, had to travel to Srinagar, which required a 72-hour RT-PCR report and got the test done at GMSH-16 on August 1, with the assurance that they would receive an SMS report by August 3, the day of their flight. While their flight landed in Srinagar at 4 pm on August 3, they did not receive the report and had to get a rapid antigen at the Srinagar airport. The resident says there was last-minute panic, and he questioned the efficiency of a government test report and he wishes he had opted for a paid test at a private lab, as they provide results in 24 hours, and it would have saved them a last-minute test at the airport. On average, in the last fortnight the number of COVID-19 tests being conducted are now between 1,200 to 1,500, with the pressure of testing easing in government labs. According to Dr V K Nagpal, Medical Superintendent, GMSH 16 and Joint Director, Health, the hospital is a collection centre, and the samples for testing are sent to PGI and GMCH-32, with most reports given within 24 hours and the delays are few, may be due to a technical reason. During the peak of the pandemic, says Dr Nagpal, samples were being sent to private labs for testing, to ease the pressure on the facilities and also to get the reports on time, so that people could be traced and treated at the earliest to check the spread of infection. “Most of the testing these days is being done for travel purposes, as people are not coming for testing, though we have eight mobile teams in various parts of the city for testing, and all our dispensaries and health centres are also offering COVID-19 testing. We are giving the reports for Rapid Antigen, but not RT-PCR. All patients in our OPDs are being tested, as are those coming for surgeries. Covid is down, but not out, and I urge people to come forward to not ignore any symptoms and come for tests, for we have to be safe,” says Dr. Nagpal.

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Kullu: No NOC to tourism units with over 10 rooms in Tirthan valley

Representatives of seven panchayats of the Tirthan valley in Banjar have decided that gram sabhas will not issue no-objection certificate (NOC) to allow the construction of hospitality units more than 10 rooms in the valley. This decision was taken to curtail commercialisation of tourism. The Tirthan valley attracts tourists because of its natural beauty. The number of tourists visiting here is increasing year after year. Tourism is becoming one of the means of livelihood of the people. To assess the benefits and harm caused by tourism to locals, a joint meeting was held at Gushaini on Sunday. Banjar Block Panchayat Samiti chairperson Lata Devi said the valley, including the World Heritage Great Himalayan National Park, had immense potential for tourism and people would get employment opportunities at their doorsteps through tourism business. She said to preserve the natural beauty, environment and cultural traditions of the region, they would make joint efforts so that the valley could be preserved for tourism for a long time. Representatives of Tung, Sarchi, Pekhadi, Nohanda, Kandidhar, Shilli and Kalwari panchayats stressed that the community tourism should be promoted. The members unanimously decided that it would be necessary for all tourism stakeholders to obtain an NOC from the local panchayat before carrying out any construction. Tirthan Conservation And Tourism Development Association president Varun Bharti said the people were dependent on limited natural resources and the construction of big hotels and resorts would cause a huge loss. He said it was decided that the construction of hospitality units having more than 10 rooms would not be allowed. Jibhi Valley Tourism Development Association president Lalit Kumar said at present, the tourism in the Banjar valley was based on the homestay model and no hospitality unit was having more than 10 rooms.

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Odisha's Nandankanan Zoo reopens for visitors after 3 months

Bhubaneswar's Nandankandan Zoological Park has reopened after a gap of 94 days on 4 August, 2021. Sanjeet Kumar, the Deputy Director of the Nandankanan Zoo, informed that the priority is to keep everyone safe from the virus and have them enjoy and learn about nature. "Our priority is to keep everyone safe from Covid, be it animals or people. We want people to enjoy and learn about nature. Covid norms like social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitisation are being taken care of. Those flouting the Covid norms will be fined," said Kumar. He also said that measures like shifts would be considered in case of an increase in footfall and provided some guidance on how one could get his tickets booked. "We are expecting footfall to be less than ten thousand people a day. In case the footfall goes up, we will consider measures like shifts to segregate people and ensure social distancing. People can book their tickets online through the website and the app of the zoo. However, there is no re-scheduling right now," added Kumar. Visitors were quite happy and thrilled with their experience at the zoo after such a long time. "The zoo is big. It has many great animals. Our Indian zoos are good and people must visit. All the Covid norms are being followed even though me and my family are fully vaccinated" said Deepak, a tourist from Gujarat. "We were waiting for the zoo to re-open for a long time. It is well managed, clean and Covid corms are being followed," said Rupesh, another tourist. Earlier in March this year, Odisha had started putting lockdowns and curfews yet again due to the rise in cases of Covid-19 that led to the second wave of the pandemic.

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