The Salem district police and revenue department officials tightened checks on to visit Yercaud hill station on Saturday after the district administration barred tourists from visiting the hill station on weekends.
Following relaxation offered by the State government to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, tourists, including travellers from neighbouring States like Kerala and Karnataka, started visiting Yercaud. Professionals and riders from Bengaluru formed the major chunk of tourists who visited Yercaud.
Significant crowd was noticed in the hill station during weekends despite the parks and other tourism activities here remaining closed. However, considering the increase in crowd, the district administration prohibited tourists from visiting the hill station on weekends and on weekdays they were required to carry RT-PCR negative report or vaccination certificate for two doses.
Police checks were tightened in the Yercaud ghat road and only local residents and those travelling for business reasons were permitted. Persons permitted to travel to the hill station where asked to undergo RT-PCR test at the police check-post on the ghat road.
Police and revenue officials checked the travellers for their identity cards and a health team was also stationed at the check-post.
Officials also checked the reports of passengers travelling in buses and bus conductors were advised not to allow passengers to travel standing. However, travellers had reached the hill station on Friday itself to escape from being turned away at the check-post.
Health teams were also deployed at Kuppanur and Kulayur to collect swab samples from tourists. Residents in the hill station said that the crowd was less compared to previous weeks.
