Shimla: Fearing a massive surge in the Covid cases, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur canceled all his official engagements even as the state government imposed a ban on all social, political and religious gatherings and invoked a five-day week office working.
The government has already closed down all educational institutions and cut down gatherings for weddings and other functions to half, with a maximum of 100 people in indoor functions.
A weekend curfew and restricting the timing of markets are other measures put in place on Sunday.
The Chief Minister has also asked the tourists coming to the state to enjoy snowfall to strictly adhere to Covid appropriate behavior or they will be facing the action for violation of the guidelines.
Despite surge in the cases, a massive tourists surge has been witnessed in the state after snowfall at Manali and Shimla. The tourists thronged Shimla's Ridge little before midnight immediate after the snowfall even as the police kept warning against accidents due to slippery roads.
The Chief Minister, who had to inaugurate several projects in Shimla including the newly constructed OPD block of the IGMC to be converted into Covid care center, had to drop the function. He will not be attending any official functions and tours as planned at Palampur in Kangra.
There has been criticism of the Chief Minister for not setting an example of following Covid norms. This compelled his office to suspend all his engagements till January 15.
A notification this evening said the offices will function only for five days a week and there will be 50 percent attendance.
Meanwhile, the active Covid cases in Himachal Pradesh have jumped to 2793 within the past 10 days as districts like Kangra, Shimla, Hamirpur, Solan and Sirmaur have witnessed the highest number of cases in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile a devastating fire at Manali reduced a massive five story building into ashes rendering several families homeless in extreme winters and snowfall time.
On other hand, Border Road Organisation (BRO) personnel joined by the police jawans rescued over 100 tourists who were stranded at Lahaul Spiti during the past four days due to disruption of the roads following snowfall at Rohtang Tunnel and its north and south portals.
More than 30 vehicles were deployed to safely bring the tourists back to Manali braving highly slippery roads between south portal and Solong nalla.
The police have advised the tourists not to venture into the snow and strictly follow the advisories on the road mobilities in the state.