After recording the highest single day spike in Covid cases in the last 24 hours, Himachal Pradesh on Sunday decided to impose Corona curfew in four districts from 27 April to 10 May.

A state government official said the decision was taken at a high-level meeting held here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. “Keeping in view the sharp surge in number of Covid cases in Himachal, the state government has decided to impose Corona curfew in the four districts of Kangra, Una, Solan and Sirmour from 10 pm to 5 am from the midnight of 27 April,” he said, adding the Corona curfew will continue till 10 May.

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The official stated that it was also decided to make RTPCR tests within 72 hours mandatory for all the visitors visiting the state.

In case, the persons visiting the state had not undergone RTPCR test, they will have to remain in home quarantine/isolation at the place of their residence for fourteen days.

They would also have the option of getting themselves tested after seven days of their arrival and in case the test comes negative, they do not require to remain in quarantine, he said.

He further stated that the state government has also decided that local bodies, both in urban and rural areas would be closely involved in effective enforcement of all the SOPs and guidelines in their respective areas.

Besides, the local bodies had been empowered to initiate legal action against the violators so as to check the spread of Covid pandemic.

“It was also decided in the meeting that a Special Task Force would be constituted at the local level for effective enforcement of SOPs during all the religious, social, political and cultural gatherings. They would be empowered to initiate strict action against the people violating the guidelines and SOPs issued by the state government from time to time. The state government would keep on reviewing the situation from time to time and decisions would be taken accordingly,” he added.

HP urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj, technical education minister Ram Lal Markanda, health minister Rajiv Saizal, forest minister Rakesh Pathania, chief secretary Anil Khachi were present in the meeting among others.

Significantly, the state recorded the highest ever single day spike of 2,073 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of active cases to 13,411. As many as 22 deaths had been recorded in the last 24 hours which was the second highest death figure in two days.

The death toll had now reached 1,291. The worst affected district in this second Covid wave include Kangra with 3,076 active cases, followed by Solan (2,440), Shimla (1,420), Mandi (1,215), Sirmaur (1,189), Una (1,074) and Hamirpur (1,015).