Visitors to Rajasthan from Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat need to have negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR) reports for Covid-19 for entry into the state, chief minister Ashok Gehlot's office said in a statement. The rule is also applicable to visitors from Maharashtra and Kerala which was notified earli.
The statement cited rising Covid-19 cases in the neighbouring states and added it necessitated the latest move. It said classes up to class 5 and Anganwadi centers in the state will also remain closed till March 31 in view of the pandemic.
Gehlot urged people to continue to take precautionary measures to prevent more infections. “Residents should follow the health protocols such as wearing of masks, maintain proper distances, and frequent hand washing."
He called negligence in following Covid-19 protocols a matter of serious concern and directed the concerned departments to speed up the awareness campaign again.
Gehlot said the Covid-19 vaccination drive was underway at a good pace but there is a need to accelerate it.
Health minister Raghu Sharma said he has held talks with the Centre to ensure a proper supply of Covid vaccines.
“In view of the good performance of Rajasthan in comparison to other states of the country, Rajasthan has demanded more doses of Covid-19 vaccine from the central government,” Sharma said.
{{/usCountry}}“In view of the good performance of Rajasthan in comparison to other states of the country, Rajasthan has demanded more doses of Covid-19 vaccine from the central government,” Sharma said.
{{/usCountry}}Secretary (medical and health) Siddharth Mahajan said the number of cases in the state dipped to below 100 in February. He added there has been an increase in the cases this month.
“Rajasthan has a positivity rate of 5.05%, recovery rate 98.66%, and active cases of 0.47% which is better than the national average.