Even as the fourth phase of the lockdown continues with more relaxations, a few tourists have started to visit Nainital. On Saturday, a small number of local tourists from nearby towns visited the lake city. Though this is being seen as a positive sign by some, others are questioning tourist movement and also pointing out the lack of social distancing and risk involved if necessary precautions are not observed effectively.

With the temperatures soaring in the plains, some people arrive in Nainital seeking some relief from the heat. The visitors who reached here with their families enjoyed the comparatively lower temperatures but were disappointed at not being able to go boating in Naini lake. When this correspondent talked to the visitors, they said that they had spent their time well with their families at home during the lockdown. However, they travelled to Nainital with their family members including children to seek some relief from the heat in the Terai even if for some hours.

However, concerned locals point out that the number of Covid-19 positive cases is rising by the day at an alarming rate with the return of migrants from different states.

 This has also created an atmosphere of anxiety in Nainital. Stating that there is a ban on the entry of tourists in Nainital at present, they questioned how some people were violating the lockdown and arriving in Nainital as tourists. The district administration should take stern action against such people, the concerned locals opined.