Uttarakhand: Complete lockdown in Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital on Saturday, Sunday

A resurgent coronavirus has impacted the inflow of tourists into the state.

Coronavirus Lockdown in Uttarakhand: As COVID-19 cases reached near 4,000, the Uttarakhand government has imposed lockdowns over the weekend in major cities, mostly in business centres and tourist places in the state, in order to contain the spread of coronavirus infections.

The state government has imposed a complete lockdown on Saturday and Sunday in Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Nainital, said Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh, in an official order on Friday. However, essential services will be allowed during this period, he said.

The state government order allowed operations of industrial units in multiple shifts, agricultural & construction activities, liquor shops, and hotels; and permitted movement of persons and vehicles associated with these services.

The order also gave permission to the movement of goods on national and state highways, loading and unloading of cargo and travel of persons to their destinations after getting off from buses, trains and flights.

For all inbound persons from other states, though no permission is required, the order asked for mandatory registration on the Smart City portal.

The order allowed entry of all inbound asymptomatic persons, who have undergone RT-PCR tests and have COVID-19 negative reports, into the state without restriction. It also exempts them from quarantine. It asked them to upload their medical report on the Smart City portal for verification.

The order has allowed per day entry of maximum 1,500 persons, excluding trains and flight passengers, into the state.

Uttarakhand gets its highest revenue from tourism. A resurgent coronavirus has impacted inflow of tourists, brought the tourism business to a standstill.

As of July 17, Uttrakhand has reported 3,982 COVID-19 cases and 50 deaths linked to coronavirus. While 2,995 patients have recovered/discharged from the hospitals, the state still has 937 active cases, according to the data from the Union health ministry.