Shimla, August 26: New travel guidelines were issued by the Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday. The authorities will now allow tourists to enter the state even if they have obtained a COVID-19 negative certificate through TRU NAAT and CB NAAT tests. Earlier, the state permitted entry only if those arriving had undergone the RT-PCR test. Karnataka Ready to Resume Interstate Bus Services to Four States and Puducherry Amid COVID-19 Pandemic.

Tests on sample collected not earlier than 96 hours before entering the state border will also be valid, stated the guidelines as the Himachal government is considering to minimise regulations to increase tourist footfall.

Guidelines For Tourists Issued by Himachal Pradesh Govt

The visitors no longer need to stay put at one location for at least five days. Now, then can travel to another district after spending two days, stated the new guidelines.

The government has also addressed the issue faced by travel operators. Drivers of private cab services would no longer be required to remain isolated or quarantined after arrival in the state if they leave on the same day after dropping the tourists, the guidelines read.

Notably, Himachal Pradesh is one the less-affected states due to COVID-19. The hill-state has reported 5,206 cases so far, out of whom 3,771 have successfully recovered and 1,352 are undergoing treatment.

What Are TRU NAAT Test?

In this form of testing, the throat or nose swabs of a person is collected and dipped in a solution which inactivates the virus - if it was present. The solution is then tested to ascertain the presence of SARS-CoV-2 E-gene. Result of such a test is out within half-n-hour, thus making it one of the fastest methods to ascertain whether a person is infected with COVID-19. It is named as TRU NAAT as it used the TrueNat system for screening of the virus gene.

What is CB NAAT Test?

Cartridge based nucleic acid amplification test, also known as CB NAAT test, is also a method of testing to determine whether a person is infected with the virus causing COVID-19. This is form of test is primarily used for ascertaining whether a person is infected with tuberculosis. Results of the CB NAAT test is available within two hours.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 26, 2020 09:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).