Himachal Pradesh caps weddings at 50, 5-day week in offices

Shimla, April 20

Announcing stricter curbs amid the surge in Covid cases, the Himachal Pradesh Government today capped at 50 the attendance at weddings, funerals and other social, religious and political gatherings from April 22.

It imposed a five-day workweek in government offices and ordered the public transport, including inter-state and intra-state buses, to ply at 50 per cent capacity with immediate effect till May 1. The temples will remain out of bounds for the general public from April 23.

The decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur here. “In view of the sharp rise in Covid cases and fatalities, we have decided to limit the attendance at weddings, funerals, social, religious, sports, cultural and political gatherings at 50,” he said. The earlier limit was 50 for indoor and 200 for outdoor gatherings.

Barring shops selling essentials, all commercial establishments like shops, malls, markets, gyms, sports complexes and swimming pools will remain closed on weekends. There will be a five-day week for employees of all government offices, autonomous bodies and PSUs and 50 per cent attendance on the other five days till May 1.

Though a sharp rise in infections and fatalities had been witnessed in the state over the past few days, the Chief Minister ruled out a lockdown for now. He said they would first focus on micro-containment.

Thakur said no reports of exodus of migrant workers in view of lockdown fears had been received from the hill state. — TNS