Travelling to Sikkim Know the latest COVID Protocols

The mercury is soaring with each passing day and you may want to take a vacation in cooler climes. Sikkim, with its stunning landscapes and pleasant climate, could be a great choice.

But before you plan your trip to the northeastern paradise, you must know the latest COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Sikkim government.

The Chief Secretary of Government of Sikkim SC Gupta has issued a set of new guidelines on March 31 which shall remain in force from April 1 up to April 30.

According to the guidelines, there shall be no movement of vehicles after 1030 pm till 600 am except for emergency purposes.

Restaurants, bars, night clubs, discos and pubs will be closed by 10 pm every day but this will not be applicable to the inhouse guests staying in the hotels.

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According to the new guidelines, hotel owners, travel agents, home stay owners will have to ensure that tourists staying in their establishments carry a negative RT PCR test report conducted 72 hours prior to their arrival. In case tourists arrive without such report, the travel agents, hotel owners and home stay owners shall get the RT PCR/True NAT test conducted at specified testing locations in the state. This condition will be applicable with effect from April 7.

The guidelines also suggest that District Collectors shall identify paid quarantine locations for primary contacts of tourist who tests positive.

All activities have been permitted outside Containment Zones and SOPs have been prescribed for various activities. These include movement by passenger trains air travel metro trains schools higher educational institutions hotels and restaurants shopping malls, multiplexes and entertainment parks yoga centres and gymnasiums exhibitions assemblies ad congregations, etc.

Any person violating these containment measures and the National Directives for COVID-19 Management will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Sec.188 of the IPC, and Sikkim Public Health and Safety (COVID-19) Regulations, 2020.