HP inches towards being Covid free, over 3L await homecoming

SHIMLA: Even as Himachal inches towards becoming free of the deadly novel coronavirus, around three lakh people are waiting to return home.

No new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the last eight days in Himachal Pradesh, said the ministry of home affairs. There are no red zones in Himachal. There are six orange and six green zones.

The Himachal government has set new health surveillance protocols for people entering Himachal Pradesh. Those wanting to return home will be allowed to travel only on e-passes.

Government data says that over three lakh residents were stranded in different parts of the country and are keen to return to their native places. Principal secretary revenue and agriculture Onkar Chand Sharma will facilitate the return of the stranded people.

The state’s borders had been choked with traffic after the ministry of home affairs lifted travel restrictions on people stranded outside the state, including students and migrant labourers.

Around 50,000 people have entered the state from different interstate borders in the last three days. All returnees have been asked to quarantine themselves at home.

FRESH SURVEILLANCE GUIDELINES

The Jai Ram Thakur-led government has issued fresh guidelines to strengthen surveillance to prevent Covid-19 from spreading.

As per the order issued by chief secretary Anil Khachi, concerned district magistrates shall appoint the heads of urban local bodies (ULBs) and gram panchayats (GP) in the territorial limits of the respective districts as ‘surveillance personnel’.

Government has directed all the local urban bodies and panchayats to have a registration facility for returnees.

Family members or relatives of returnees will register themselves at the facility immediately after their arrival or ‘surveillance personnel’ may register such names suo-moto, on receiving information from any other source.

Registration is mandatory and any violation will invite action.

Every person arriving in Himachal shall have to stay in home or institutional quarantine facility at gram panchayat level for 14 days and any violation will warrant action.

NO NEW POSITIVE CASE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE STATE IN THE LAST EIGHT DAYS