Himachal Pradesh administration sends back over 35 tourists amid Coronavirus outbreak

As the entire nation is gearing up for the Janta Curfew called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to combat the deadly Coronavirus, the Himachal Pradesh administration has sent back more than 35 tourists including Nepali and Israeli nationals on Saturday in an effort to control the tourist influx during the crisis situation.  

The district administration said people had come from different places and were on their way to Manali. "All the tourists were sent back including 20 people from Nepal, five from Kerala and six others from abroad. With the help of the local police and medical team, the buses were checked and people were sent back," said Rahul Chauhan, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Sundernagar, adding that eight tourists were sent back from Shimla on Friday.  

The state government has already closed all educational institutions, Anganwadi centres, and play-way schools from March 14 till March 31. On Friday, two fresh cases of Coronavirus were reported in Kangra district.  

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Nation under lockdown

The entire nation is under a near lockdown situation with different state governments imposing closure of offices and other establishments to combat the spread of the virus. Only essential services such as pharmacies, medical clinics, grocery stores, among other essentials are open. 

However, different states have adopted different strategies in complete coordination with the central government to combat the virus. While some states such as Punjab and Haryana have shut down public transportation system in their states, other state governments such as Maharashtra and Delhi have drastically curtailed down public transport. 

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'Janta Curfew'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a 'Janta Curfew' on March 22 and appealed to all the citizens to go under self-quarantine and not stepping out of their homes on Sunday from 7 am to 9 pm.

Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked extensively about the challenges caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He stressed that “resolve” and “restraint” were the two most important things to be followed. PM Modi also appealed to every to pay tribute to all essential officials like doctors, government officials, journalists, etc who were working. 

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A day after his address to the nation, PM Modi also chaired a video conferencing with chief ministers of various states to fight the pandemic. The total number of Coronavirus cases in India stands at 258 including 39 foreigners according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. While four deaths have been reported in the country, 22 cases have fully recovered and discharged.

(With ANI inputs)

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