The government of Himachal Pradesh has decided to end the e-pass system for entering the state from July 1. The government has also allowed inter-state buses to operate with 50% capacity. All the temples in the state will also reopen from July 1 with COVID protocol in place.
Few days back, the Himachal Pradesh government has announced that no RT-PCR test reports would be required to enter the state. After the announcement, an overwhelming number of vehicles created a massive jam in the Parwanoo region, bordering Himachal and Haryana.
As per the SOPs issued by the Department of Language, Art and Culture, Himachal Pradesh, a notice said that "the state has also allowed the religious spots to reopen but devotees need to follow all the requisite social distancing norms. But no kirtan, bhajan, jagratas etc. shall be permissible".
Talking about social gatherings, only 50 percent of the total indoor capacity with maximum 50 people would be allowed. For outdoor gatherings, a maximum of 100 people would be allowed. The shops in the state would remain open from 9 AM to 8 PM and restaurants would be allowed to operate till 10 PM.
The decision to discontinue the e-pass comes as a relief for the state’s hospitality sector and hoteliers, who were struggling with the COVID-19 lockdown.