The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday said people entering the state will have to provide address proof, making it clear that those arriving from the red zones will be quarantined.
A senior official said there have been cases of people coming from red zones, which are more seriously affected by coronavirus, but claiming that they were staying in a green zone.
This allowed them to go directly to their Himachal homes instead of first spending time at a quarantine centre.
The state also issued a revised list of places with a high virus load.
Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Thane, Pune, Hyderabad, Chengalpattu in Tamil Nadu, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kolkata, Howrah and Indore are on this list.
Travellers from these places must go into quarantine first, Himachal Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.
He said the system of issuing e-passes has also been changed, making it mandatory for applicants to provide address proof.
Following the new order, Kangra and Hamirpur district magistrates issued directions that everyone coming from these cities will be institutionally quarantined. The quarantine period is usually 14 days.
Himachal Pradesh reported 16 more coronavirus cases on Saturday, taking the count to 503. Seven coronavirus-infected people have died so far in the state.
Kangra district is the worst-affected district with 138 cases so far, followed by Hamirpur at 131.
