Nearly 100 Tourists Have Been Caught In Uttarakhand With Fake RT-PCR Negative Reports So Far
Uttarakhand, like most states have made a negative RT-PCR report mandatory for all those who arrive in the sate. But there has been an increase in the number of those getting caught there with fake test reports.?
Police in Uttarakhand has caught 13 more tourists who came to visit the state with fake RT-PCR negative reports.
According to ANI, the tourists were caught in Clement Town and they had come to visit Dehradun-Mussoorie.
Following the incident, a probe was conducted and police have arrested four persons accused of making fake documents.
100 fake RT-PCR reports found
According to the police, till now, 100 fake RT-PCR negative reports detected among those visitors coming to the state from outside.
Last week, after photos and videos of tourists flouting?social distancing norms in Mussoorie?went viral on social media, the Uttarakhand government had ordered visitors at all tourist spots in the state to strictly adhere to COVID protocol.
On arrival in the state, tourists have to produce a negative Covid test report not older than 72 hours.
Official figures show 35,425 tourists reached the outskirts of Nainital and 32,000 more travelled to Mussoorie in Uttarakhand over the last weekend.
But some 8,000 tourist vehicles were sent back from places like Mussorie and Nainital.
This was done on various grounds, ranging from not carrying a Covid-negative report or proof of hotel booking to failure to register on the state government-mandated portal.
According to Uttarakhand Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Nilesh Anand Bharane, check-posts have also been set up at the state border. Tourists have been informed that they must have negative RT-PCR tests, prior hotel bookings and registration on the online portal.
Resurgence of COVID?
Amid the influx of tourists, there are fears that allowing visitors from outside will lead to another resurgence of COVID in the hill state.
On Wednesday, three people in Mussoorie's Cantonment Board area have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to Nodal Officer Dr Pradeep Rana, all three are family members and have been quarantined.
Seventeen other people, who were recently in contact with the COVID-positive patients, have undergone RT-PCR tests.
The state's COVID curfew, meanwhile, has been extended till July 20. Restrictions will remain in force till 6 am on July 20. A cap of 50 people has also been imposed for weddings and funerals.
As per the union health ministry, there are currently 819 active COVID-19 cases in Uttarakhand. As many as 3,33,104 recoveries and 7,351 deaths have been reported in the state so far.
