India: Multiple states extending enhanced measures as of May 10 amid COVID-19 controls in northern Indian states /update 35

Event

Authorities are extending enhanced measures in Delhi as well as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh states through May 17 due to ongoing COVID-19 activity. Officials are enforcing tighter measures in Leh District of Ladakh Union Territory and Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory through May 17 as well. A ban on all nonessential activity is underway across Madhya Pradesh State through at least May 15. Similar curbs are affecting Rajasthan State through May 24. Uttarakhand authorities will impose enhanced measures May 11-18. Overnight curfews and restrictions on nonessential activity are in place across most other northern Indian regions to control the spread of COVID-19. Authorities typically allow only essential business operations and movements; cargo transit, limited transport services, permitted industries, and workplaces requiring night operations are also allowed. However, delivery services may face limits. Expansion and extension of such measures are likely in the coming weeks.

Educational institutions, sports facilities, recreational venues, and tourist spots across northern India are mostly closed; most public and social gatherings are banned. Strict controls on nonessential activity will continue in containment areas with significant COVID-19 activity through at least May 31. Under these measures, movement from affected areas remains restricted to select transit points and for essential purposes. All public and nonessential private transport remain banned. Businesses, mainly those providing essential services, may operate with minimal numbers of employees. Residents must stay home and use delivery services to the extent possible. States are also implementing enhanced tracing, testing, and quarantine protocols for domestic passengers from locations with significant COVID-19 activity and permitted international arrivals - mainly from Brazil, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, and the UK - due to concerns over new variants of COVID-19.

As of May 10, existing or planned measures include:

• Chandigarh: Nonessential activity is banned 17:00 May 4-05:00 May 11; extensions are likely. All nonessential shops must close. Private offices must use telecommuting to the extent possible; government offices and transport services will function at 50-percent capacity. Ongoing 18:00-05:00 nightly curfews and weekly curfews from 18:00 Fridays to 05:00 Mondays will continue until further notice. During curfews, residents must stay home unless seeking or providing essential or emergency services. Those leaving their homes must apply for a movement pass online. Delivery services are limited to essential items only. Entrants must submit a self-declaration form via the COVA Punjab portal before arrival. Asymptomatic domestic passengers entering the state are not required to undergo any testing or quarantine.
• Chhattisgarh: Officials are enforcing enhanced restrictions across the state through at least May 15. Authorities have closed alcohol shops statewide. District collectorates are maintaining border surveillance, checkpoints, and holding areas. Retail shops may operate but officials are prohibiting malls and supermarkets from opening. Banks and post offices may operate with 50-percent staff. Authorities are also allowing food and milk shops as well as flour mills to open. Authorities have relaxed some measures in Raipur and Durg districts, where some additional commercial establishments may operate and hotels and restaurants may provide takeaway services. Enhanced measures will continue in Raipur city through May 17. Other measures may vary in other districts. All air and rail entrants must produce negative results of a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure or undergo self-paid on-arrival testing. All entrants must quarantine at home for a week; symptomatic entrants and those with positive tests will undergo quarantine at home or in a designated facility, based on medical assessment. Those leaving the state within 72 hours of arrival are exempt from quarantine.
• Delhi: Authorities in Delhi have extended restrictions on business activity, gatherings, and transport in the national capital region through the morning of May 17; extensions are likely. Officials are suspending all metro rail services through 05:00 May 17. Residents must remain at home unless leaving for essential purposes, such as seeking medical treatment or working in essential industries. Authorities require most individuals to apply for movement passes online before leaving their residences. Government workers and other essential employees must carry valid identification instead. Most businesses and nonessential retail outlets will remain closed; delivery services are limited to essential items only. A rule on mandatory facemask-wearing in public places also applies to private vehicles; those traveling alone in such vehicles must also wear facemasks. Asymptomatic domestic passengers entering the state must quarantine at home for seven days. However, travelers from Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Telangana states must produce negative results of a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before arrival. Passengers from mentioned high-risk areas entering without test results must undergo a 14-day home or institutional quarantine. Those on official trips, as well as those holding test results or proof of completing vaccination, are eligible for shortened or quarantine exemption.
• Haryana: Officials are banning all nonessential activity through May 17; extensions are possible. Authorities are banning gatherings of more than 11 people. Delivery services are limited to essential items. People may exit homes for essential purposes; government workers must carry identification cards. Permitted industries and workplaces must obtain movement passes online for employees. Asymptomatic domestic travelers entering the state do not require testing or quarantine.
• Himachal Pradesh: Authorities are banning most nonessential activity statewide 00:00 May 7-00:00 May 17. While nonessential establishments, including workplaces, must close, public movement is allowed. Transport services are available with limited capacity. Officials advise residents to stay home to the extent possible; unauthorized public gatherings involving more than five people are banned. The government mandates all entrants to register online beforehand and provide a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours before arrival. If a passenger does not provide a negative test, they must quarantine at their residence for 14 days. Arrivals from high-risk domestic locations must undergo a week of institutional quarantine followed by seven days of home quarantine. Residents of Himachal Pradesh returning to the state within 48 hours of exit may avail exemptions from quarantine.
• Jammu and Kashmir: Officials have extended enhanced restrictions statewide through 07:00 May 17. Authorities are prohibiting markets from operating and public transport services are suspended. Private vehicle movement is allowed. Security forces have barricaded roadways in district capitals to curb the movement of people. All passengers entering the state must undergo mandatory rapid testing upon arrival unless they hold negative results of an RT-PCR COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours before entry; symptomatic travelers may require additional testing and quarantine at a designated facility. Asymptomatic visitors exiting the territory within 96 hours of arrival are exempt from quarantine.
• Ladakh: Authorities in Leh District have extended a ban on all nonessential activity and movement through 05:00 May 17; residents must obtain a movement pass online to exit homes unless carrying identification cards proving employment in essential sectors. Shops selling vegetables, baked goods, and other essential rations may operate 08:00-13:00. Other ongoing measures in the district mandate the closure of nonessential establishments on Sundays through May 31; retail stores may open three days weekly according to product category. Entrants to the union territory must carry negative results of a COVID-19 test obtained within 96 hours before arrival. Other entrants must undergo testing upon entry, as well as a mandatory quarantine for at least seven days in a designated facility or residence, depending on their medical assessment.
• Madhya Pradesh: Authorities are banning all nonessential activity and movements through at least May 15; extensions are possible. The government had earlier ordered nightly curfews in urban centers and high-risk border districts. Statewide curbs on nonessential activity during weekends will continue until further notice. Asymptomatic domestic passengers entering the state are not required to undergo any testing or quarantine except if arriving from Maharashtra State. Travelers from Maharashtra must produce negative results of a COVID-19 test; the test must be taken 72 hours before departure if flying to Bhopal and 48 hours before departure if flying to Indore. Border districts mandate travelers from Maharastra State to complete a seven-day home quarantine. Most interstate public bus services remain suspended until further notice.
• Punjab: Authorities are implementing an 18:00-05:00 nightly curfew until further notice; a weekly curfew is also active from 18:00 Fridays to 05:00 Mondays. Residents must obtain a movement pass online to exit homes. Permitted industries and delivery services are exempt from the controls. Additional curbs applicable through May 15 include closing nonessential shops, limiting occupancy of four-wheeled private vehicles to two, and mandating pre-arrival testing for interstate travelers. Officials are advising against nonessential interstate travel. All entrants must register beforehand on the COVA Punjab portal and submit negative results of an RT-PCR COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of entry. Passengers may alternatively carry proof of completing at least one vaccination dose at least two weeks before arrival. Asymptomatic travelers to the state are subject to a mandatory 14-day home quarantine; participants of large gatherings must also undergo five days of home quarantine. International arrivals must undergo institutional quarantine. Symptomatic individuals may require prolonged quarantine at medical facilities. Travelers with negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test results obtained within 72 hours before arrival and domestic travelers leaving the state within 72 hours of arrival are exempt.
• Rajasthan: Officials are banning all nonessential activity 05:00 May 10-05:00 May 24. Movement of public, private, and private-hire vehicles is prohibited except with special permission; non-emergency travel between administrative units such as cities, districts, and states is also banned. Authorities are currently imposing a 12:00-05:00 daily curfew statewide. Grocery shops may remain open until 17:00; food delivery services may operate through 20:00 daily. An additional weekend curfew is also active from 12:00 on Fridays to 05:00 on Mondays. Residents must obtain movement passes to exit homes for essential work through the Rajasthan state portal or RajCop Citizen mobile application. All domestic travelers to the state must submit negative results of a COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before entry. Those entering the state without test results must quarantine at home until results of on-arrival tests arrive, or up to 14 days based on medical assessment.
• Uttarakhand: Authorities will enforce enhanced measures statewide from 06:00 May 11 to 06:00 May 18. Officials will only allow essential services to operate; all nonessential establishments such as gyms, shopping malls, restaurants, and markets must close. Essential shops may operate from 07:00 to 22:00. Transport services must operate with a 50-percent capacity. Entrants to the state must register on the Smart City Portal, provide a negative RT-PCR test obtained within 72 hours of entry, and undergo a seven-day quarantine.
• Uttar Pradesh: Nonessential activity will remain banned through 07:00 May 17; extensions are probable. Other ongoing measures include weekly curfews from 20:00 Fridays-07:00 Tuesdays and 20:00-07:00 nightly curfews. Residents must obtain movement passes online to exit homes; essential workers may carry employment passes. Transport services except for Metro rail services are available during curfews. Interstate public buses are suspended until further notice. Air passengers must register online before arrival; they must also carry negative results of an RT-PCR COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure or undergo on-arrival testing. Officials may also conduct random testing for passengers arriving via any route from high-risk domestic locations like Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Punjab. Asymptomatic domestic travelers must quarantine at home for a week unless planning to exit the state within seven days of arrival; symptomatic passengers will undergo an extended quarantine of 14 days.

Emergency and utility services remain operational nationwide. While banks and businesses selling essential goods, such as fuel, food, and medicine, remain open in containment zones, officials will almost certainly regulate price, supply, and opening hours. Panic-buying and associated localized shortages of essential goods may occur in some areas. Sporadic clashes are possible if groups attempt to enforce business closures or defy official orders. Police may forcibly disperse unruly crowds. Violators may face legal action. Authorities could modify restrictions at short notice, mainly in major cities.

Advice

Follow all official instructions; minimize outdoor activity to the extent possible. Abide by state and national health and safety measures. Reconfirm business appointments, deliveries, work, and travel arrangements. Do not check out of accommodation without confirming onward travel. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments. Ensure access to essential items, plan for queues, and delays at available shopping centers. Carry proper identification documents and heed all security advisories.

Resources

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Help Page
Chandigarh Union Territory Portal
Haryana State COVID-19 Portal
Leh District Movement Pass
Punjab State Government Portal
Punjab State Entry and Movement Pass Application
Uttar Pradesh State Movement Pass
World Health Organization (WHO)