The Meghalaya government has imposed a ban on the entry of tourists into the state amid the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. The restriction on the entry of tourists will come into force from April 23.

The state Chief Minister Conrad Sangma took to twitter to announce the recent development. "#Meghalaya will close its doors to tourists from outside the state from 23rd April 2021 however, local tourism will continue. There will also be closure in tourist locations that have high tourist footfall. The time frame of RT-PCR tests will be reduced from 72 to 48 hrs," Sangma wrote.

However, the tourism sector will continue to operate for local tourists.

"Local tourism will continue," Sangma further added.

On the other hand, Meghalaya Government has also decided to shut down tourists' spots, which witnesses' high tourists' footfall.

The state recorded 73 new COVID-19 positive cases on Sunday. At present, there are 680 active COVID-19 cases in Meghalaya.

The state has recorded 153 COVID-19 related deaths thus far.