Shimla, November 18: The Himachal Pradesh Government on Wednesday issued a new set of protocols for scaled-down social and political congregations amid rising COVID-19 cases in the state. A decision to put a cap on gatherings at 100 was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jairam Thakur. Maximum of 50 percent capacity of the hall should be occupied.

As per the new guidelines, the attendance at social gatherings, including weddings, will again be restricted to 100 instead of 200. As per the state government’s order, in social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious, political, and other congregations a maximum of 50 percent of the hall capacity will be allowed, with a ceiling of 100 persons. Delhi Govt's Cap on Wedding Guests Leaves Many Families Worried.

Order by Himachal Pradesh Government: 

The government also makes wearing of face masks, maintaining social distancing, provision of thermal scanning and use of hand wash or sanitiser is mandatory in all such venues. Meanwhile, in gatherings where community kitchen or professional catering are to be required, the managers and catering staff should undergo Rapid Antigen tests for COVID-19. These tests should be conducted almost 96 hours before the event. India's COVID-19 Tally Rises to 89.12 Lakh With 38,617 New Cases Reported in Past 24 Hours, Active Cases Goes Below 4.5 Lakh.

Till now, over 30,000 people have contracted COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh. There are currently more than 6,000 active cases in the hill state of India. Close to 500 people also succumbed to the deadly virus in Himachal Pradesh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 18, 2020 10:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).