India: Officials continue to enforce COVID-19 controls in northern states as of Aug. 10 /update 43

Event

States and union territories in northern India continue to enforce COVID-19 controls as of Aug. 10. Curfews and limits on nonessential activity are in effect in multiple areas. The strictest curbs, including additional entry and exit controls and stay-home orders, will continue in containment zones with a significant number of COVID-19 cases.

As of Aug. 10, various measures are in place in the following states and union territories:

• Chandigarh: A 23:00-05:00 curfew remains in effect. Residents must obtain movement passes online to exit homes during curfews; delivery services are limited to essential items. Shops may open with various reduced operating hours. Government offices, transport services, recreational facilities, large retail centers like malls, and grooming facilities may operate with 50-percent capacity. Asymptomatic domestic passengers entering the state are not required to undergo any testing or quarantine.

• Chhattisgarh: Most businesses, except for facilities like swimming pools, may open through 18:00 daily. Commercial restrictions such as limited operating hours and weekly closures continue in high-risk districts with over 5-percent COVID-19 test positivity rate. Domestic arrivals by air will have to present a negative result from an RT-PCR COVID-19 test taken within 96 hours before the trips regardless of the vaccination status from Aug. 8. Rail entrants must produce negative results of a COVID-19 test taken within 96 hours before departure or proof of completing vaccination; those without the required documents must undergo self-paid on-arrival testing. All entrants must quarantine at home for a week; symptomatic entrants and those with positive tests may have to undergo quarantine at a designated facility. Those leaving the state within 72 hours of arrival are exempt from quarantine.

• Delhi: Authorities are enforcing a four-tiered warning system classifying the risk level in the city by number of caseloads. Officials are issuing a yellow-alert to indicate lower risk, amber-level for intermediate risk, orange-level to indicate higher risk, and red-level for the highest risk. Under the yellow-alert, officials close some nonessential facilities, such as cinemas and gyms. Nonessential shops in markets and malls may open 10:00-20:00 on odd-even schedule. Restaurants may operate at 50-percent seating capacity 08:00-22:00; bars may also operate at 50-percent seating capacity 12:00-22:00. Metro services may run at 50-percent seating capacity. A night curfew is in effect 22:00-05:00. Amber and orange levels tighten restrictions on nonessrntial activites and enforce a weekend curfew. Under red-alert, a complete ban on nonessential activity is enforced. When Delhi is under red-alert, arrivals from other states must provide a negative RT-PCR test obtained within 72 hours of arrival or a full vaccination certificate. This rule also applies for passengers traveling from states with a test positivity rate of higher than 5. Arrivals entering from states where a new strain of COVID-19 has been discovered must also provide a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination.

• Haryana: The state government continues to enforce measures through at least Aug. 23. The 23:00-05:00 nightly curfew is no longer in effect. Authorities have further relaxed commercial restrictions; officials allow shops, bars, restaurants, and malls to operate at normal hours. Passengers must wear facemasks on public and private transport as well as to enter shops. Establishments such as restaurants and bars may operate at 50-percent seating capacity. Asymptomatic domestic travelers entering the state do not require testing or quarantine, but officials may require entrants from high-risk domestic locations to undergo a total of 14 days of quarantine at designated facilities and their residence.

• Himachal Pradesh: Authorities require non-resident arrivals to either present either negative result from an RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours before arrival or a vaccination certificate due to increased local COVID-19 activity. Most businesses can operate with shorter operating hours. Officials may further tighten measures in the coming days if the number of COVID-19 continues to rise.

• Jammu and Kashmir: Authorities continue to impose a 20:00-07:00 curfew. Gatherings remain capped at 25 people. Educational institutions are still closed. Public transport and most public facilities are open with shortened operating hours or capacity limits. Officials may restrict entry into some public venues to only vaccinated people or those who have tested negative for COVID-19 within the previous 48 hours. Local officials will tighten measures in areas where the weekly COVID-19 positivity rate is higher than four percent. Arrivals must undergo mandatory rapid testing upon arrival, with a possible exception for passengers who hold negative results of a PCR COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours before entry.

• Ladakh: Essential businesses like medical facilities can operate for 24 hours daily, while other shops can open 05:00-21:30 daily. Public and private transport are operational with passenger limits. Entrants by air and land must present a negative result from an RT-PCR test taken within 96 hours before arrival. Passengers without the pre-trip test results must quarantine at designated sites for seven days. Arrivals must undergo a rapid antigen test regardless of their pre-trip test result.

• Madhya Pradesh: A 23:00-06:00 curfew remains in effect in urban areas through Aug. 10. Most commercial establishments and transport services are operational with health protocols, such as capacity caps and shortened operating hours. Asymptomatic domestic passengers entering the state from most locations are not required to undergo any testing or quarantine. Officials may require passengers coming from high-risk locations like Maharashtra State to produce negative results of a COVID-19 test taken 48-72 hours before the trips and quarantine upon arrival.

• Punjab: Eateries, gyms, and recreational venues like cinemas may open with limited occupancy if all on-site workers and visitors have received at least one dose of vaccination. Entrants must register on the COVA Punjab portal before the trips. Most incoming domestic travelers are exempt from on-arrival testing and quarantine rules; participants of large gatherings must quarantine at their residence for five days. Authorities may also require symptomatic travelers to quarantine at designated sites.

• Rajasthan: A 21:00-05:00 curfew remains in place. Residents must obtain movement passes through the Rajasthan state portal or RajCop Citizen mobile application to exit homes for essential work during curfews. Outside curfew hours, most establishments and public and private transport vehicles can operate. Domestic entrants must either present evidence that they have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine or a negative result from an RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours before arrival. Entrants who are unable to produce either of this evidence must quarantine at home for 14 days.

• Uttarakhand: Officials have extended protocols through Aug. 17. Shops may operate 08:00-21:00 six days a week. Government offices may open at full capacity. Domestic entrants must provide a negative result from a PCR or rapid antigen test obtained within 72 hours before arrival and register on the Smart City portal. Entrants must quarantine at home for seven days, with exemptions for fully vaccinated passengers, among others.

• Uttar Pradesh: A 22:00-06:00 curfew is in place. Residents must obtain movement passes online to exit home during curfews; essential workers may carry employment passes. Most businesses can operate with shortened operating hours. Most domestic entrants are not required to quarantine upon arrival; authorities may mandate passengers from high-risk locations to quarantine for 14 days at the residence. Officials require entrants from high-risk areas to present negative results of a pre-trip COVID-19 test.

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. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments.

Resources

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Help Page
Chandigarh Union Territory Portal
Chhattisgarh State Government COVID-19 Portal
Haryana State COVID-19 Portal
Ladakh Union Territory COVID-19 Portal
Madhya Pradesh State Government COVID-19 Portal
Punjab State Government Portal
Rajasthan State Government COVID-19 Portal
Uttarakhand State Domestic Traveler Registration
Uttarakhand State International Traveler Registration
Uttar Pradesh State Air Traveler Registration
Uttar Pradesh State Movement Pass
World Health Organization (WHO)