“Tourists are welcome here but I appeal to them to follow COVID-19 norms,” said Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jayram Thakur.
As massive influx of tourists are surging towards Himachal Pradesh for much needed respite after the second wave of pandemic and amid scorching heat in the plains, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has on Friday appealed to tourists to follow COVID-19 norms.
Jairam Thakur, speaking to news agency ANI, said: “We are concerned about the number of tourists coming to the state. Tourists are welcome here but I appeal to them to follow COVID-19 norms.”
“We need to save the tourism industry also. I held a virtual meeting with districts officials and directed them to monitor and regulate the crowd. COVID-19 is not over yet. Hotels are being asked to follow SOPs,”
Earlier, pictures from market and streets of hill station Manali had gone viral last week, in which people could be seen not following the social distancing norms, while some did not even wear masks.
With the increase in influx of tourists to these hill stations, authorities are scrambling to ensure implementation of Covid protocols amid fears of an impending third wave of coronavirus infections.
Social media platforms in the last few days have been abuzz with pictures from the markets and streets of Manali. While many users expressed concerns over the violation of Covid protocols by the tourists, others grabbed the opportunity to create memes to take a swipe at the carelessness by the tourists.
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