Himachal: 20-person limit on social gatherings, ban on community feats

CM Jai Ram Thakur said that bed capacity is being enhanced in heavy case-load districts such as Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Una and Sirmaur, and a more effective mechanism is being evolved to restrict and regulate the entry of people coming to Himachal from other parts of the country.

The Himachal Pradesh government on Thursday banned community feasts (dhams) during marriages and other celebrations in the state and further restricted the maximum size of social gatherings from 50 to 20 persons to check the spread of Covid-19.

Schools, colleges and other educational institutions will continue to remain closed till May 10, and temples in the state will also remain closed for devotees during this period, the government decided during a Covid review meeting held here. It was further decided that government offices will continue to observe a five-day week with 50 per cent attendance till May 10.

CM Jai Ram Thakur said that bed capacity is being enhanced in heavy case-load districts such as Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Una and Sirmaur, and a more effective mechanism is being evolved to restrict and regulate the entry of people coming to Himachal from other parts of the country.

Thakur has also asked the Union Health Ministry to provide the state with 5,000 D-Type and 3,000 B-Type oxygen cylinders.

Meanwhile, the state government has constituted four committees for Covid management, including a logistic committee to monitor oxygen availability and bed capacity, a Covid patients/ambulance management committee to create triage space at all health facilities and monitor inter-district movement of patients, a corporate social responsibility coordination/contribution committee to seek corporate and CSR contributions to the state government’s Covid relief fund and coordinate other donations, and a media/IEC (Information, Education and Communication) committee to provide updated data and correct information to the media besides eliminating information gaps at various levels.

Himachal officially reported 33 Covid-related deaths on Wednesday which was the highest single-day death toll in the state since the beginning of the pandemic. A total of 1,429 deaths in the state have been officially linked to Covid so far, and there are currently over 16,000 active cases here.

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