No candidates or their agents will be allowed inside counting halls without a negative coronavirus report, according to the latest result-day guidelines issued by the Election Commission.

Candidates or their agents who have received both the doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can also enter the counting hall on May 2 when votes for Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu will be counted, according to the guidelines issued on Wednesday.

No public gathering outside the counting venue will be allowed during the process of counting, the guideline said.

"No candidates or agents will be allowed inside the counting hall without undergoing RT-PCR/RAT test or without having two doses of vaccination against Covid-19 and will have to produce negative RT-PCR report or RAT report or vaccination reports within 48 hours of the start of counting," the guideline read.

Counting starts at 8 am on May 2.