Himachal Pradesh police on Thursday held a couple from Delhi at Dharamshala over fake COVID-19 certificates they had produced upon inquiry. The police in a statement said a case has been filed against them and they have been sent to a quarantine centre. The Himachal Pradesh government in their guidelines has said that persons entering the state are required to carry documents that show they have tested negative for coronavirus.
Senior police officer Vimukt Ranjan, Kangra region, in a statement to news agency ANI said, "The couple had first produced antibody test reports, which said it's not a comprehensive COVID-19 test. So we denied them entry. Yesterday, they returned with an RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) report on a paper from RML Hospital in Delhi. When we cross checked it, the hospital said the report was not issued by them,". He further added, "They have been sent to an institutional quarantine center and will be tested today. A case has been registered and appropriate action will be taken when their reports come,".
Himachal Pradesh has resumed tourism after the state went into lockdown for three months in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Having said that, strict guidelines for travelers have been issued by the state among which includes persons coming must produce a COVID-19 negative certificate approved by an ICMR centre. The report is mandatory and should not be over 72 hours old while travellers have also been urged to register in advance with the state tourism department.
It is to be noted that Goa too had resumed tourism in the state to people from within the country for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown was announced on March 23 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There have been plenty of relaxations and changes in the COVID-19 guidelines around the country under the 'Unlock 2.0'. However, tourists will have to abide by the strict rules brought into effect.