COVID-19 ‘Unlock 2.0’: Tourism resumes in Goa, domestic travelers allowed from today

Goa:

Goa has opened its doors to domestic tourists on July 2, first time since the countrywide coronavirus lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 23. Under ‘Unlock 2.0’ there have been more relaxations and modification of COVID-19 guidelines across the country. Strict rules will however be in place for tourists. Tourism Minister, Manohar Ajgaonkar on Wednesday announced that 250 hotels have been given permission to resume operations.

The decision to restart tourism in Goa was taken during a state cabinet meeting, Mr Ajgaonkar told news agency PTI.

Goa: Important things that tourists have to keep in mind 

• People who want to travel to Goa must book in advance, online, for their hotel stay. 
• Only those hotels will be allowed to reopen, which have registered with the tourism department.
• Tourists have to carry documents to prove that they have tested negative for COVID-19.
• Tourists who don’t have COVID-19 certificates will have to get tested at the border and undergo quarantine at a state-run facility till results arrive.
• If anyone tests positive, the person will be given the option of returning to the state he or she came from or stay back in Goa for treatment.
• Apart from the above state-specific guidelines, masks and maintaining social distance is mandatory.

The tourism sector in states like Goa and Kerala is a huge revenue earner. The coronavirus pandemic has crippled the tourism and hotel industry across the world.

India’s coronavirus tally surged to 6,04,641 cases today as 19,148 new infections were reported in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said. The country also saw 434 COVID-19 related deaths in a single day. The recovery rate is over 59 per cent, government data shows.