Himachal lifts night curfew, coaching classes allowed

Shimla, Jan 5 With the decline in coronavirus cases, the Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to lift the night curfew imposed in four districts Shimla, Kangra, Mandi and Kullu and to restore the six-day week schedule in government offices.

It also decided to allow coaching classes in the state to operate with 50 per cent capacity.

These decisions were taken at a Cabinet meeting here chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

On the request of the state Election Commission, the Cabinet relaxed the condition of allowing not more than 50 persons in an indoor meeting.

The decision in this regard would help the commission undertaking panchayat election-related training programmes effectively, an official statement said.

It also gave approval to start single window empanelment for registration of private hospitals for effective implementation of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Him Care Yojana and Government Medical Reimbursement Scheme in the state.

On the avian influenza that broke in the Pong Dam wetlands in Kangra district, the Animal Husbandry Department made a presentation.

The Cabinet advised the Department of Health and the Department of Animal Husbandry to ensure adequate availability of medicines specific to the avian flu and PPE kits for staff.

It advised strict enforcement of restrictions on movement of people in the Pong wetlands.

With the death toll of migratory water birds rising to 2,736, and almost half of them being endangered bar-headed goose visiting the Pong wetlands, the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) based in Bhopal on Monday said that avian influenza (H5N1) was the cause.

In a report, the NIHSAD said all the five birds sent to it tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza virus by real time RT-PCR tests.

( With inputs from IANS )