"Want Tourists But...": Himachal Chief Minister's Warning On Overcrowding

Coronavirus: Tourists have been flocking the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh as mercury soars in other northern states.

After huge rush of tourists to Shimla and other hill stations caught the nation's attention amid concerns over a third coronavirus wave, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur today warned against the violation of the government-mandated norms such as social distancing and wearing of masks. "We want tourists to visit our state but they must follow Covid protocols," the Chief Minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "Recently, a number of tourists towns including Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala saw a high tourist inflow. We have ordered districts to deploy police force to regulate and monitor traffic and warn people against venturing into rivers during rains," Mr Thakur said. Underscoring the efforts made by the state government to handle the recent influx of tourists, Mr Thakur added, "At places where tourists are in large numbers, enforcement of Covid protocol is being done. We've also asked hotel associations to implement SOPs for the functioning of hotels."