Kerala adds a unique system to help tourists beat Covid blues. Know more
Bio-bubbles are sanitized, safe and secure environments, where people within them, likely to come into contact with tourists, are vaccinated
In a bid to revive its Covid-ravaged tourism sector, one of the most important sources of income of the state, the Kerala government has now rolled out a unique but efficient 'Bio-Bubble' system to help tourists enjoy their stay more safely amid the pandemic.
Bio-bubbles are sanitized, safe and secure environments, where people within them, likely to come into contact with tourists, are vaccinated, a Kerala Tourism department release said here on Tuesday.
"The protective ring of the Bio-bubble will see that tourists landing in any airport in Kerala meet only vaccinated ground staff. From the airport they can drive to their chosen destinations in cabs, provided by accredited tour operators, whose drivers are all vaccinated. The same goes for the hotels, resorts or homestays they stay during their holiday, where the staff are vaccinated", it said.
The announcement comes just a day after Kerala re-opened most of its tourist locations while following Covid protocols. All tourist places will be accessible to those who have received at least the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, or possessing a negative RTPCR test certificate taken before 72 hrs. This applies to hotels, resorts, homestays, houseboats and open spaces of tourist interest.
Kerala had launched a highly successful, targeted campaign to vaccinate the entire population in tourism destinations, with Vythiri in upland Wayanad being declared as the first destination to achieve the status. The drive aims to inoculate entire stakeholders in the tourism industry and the campaign will soon be completed in all tourist destinations across the state.
The bio-bubble model forms part of a set of well-planned and time-bound schemes initiated by the Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas for an early revival of the pandemic-ravaged travel and hospitality sector by turning all tourism spots cent per cent safe zones, the release said. Riyas said safety of guests is 'non-negotiable' as far as Kerala Tourism is concerned. The minister said the Bio-bubble initiative is meant to ensure that the tourists have a risk-free stay in our state.
"This is a critical factor for revival of tourism, which has been clobbered by the pandemic. It was with this larger perspective that we successfully carried out the vaccination campaign covering the entire population in Vythiri. This initiative will tell the world that Kerala is a place where you can holiday safely," he said, according to news agency PTI.
This programme will enable the vacationers to move freely within safe zones without any anxiety, from the very moment they reach the state. They can engage in all leisure activities such as walking, stretching and basking on beaches, swimming in placid waters, trekking up forest-trails, cruising on the back waters or sauntering through villages, with full confidence. Venu V, Additional Chief Secretary of Tourism, said Kerala Tourism has outlived grim crises like devastating natural calamities like floods and epidemics that battered its infrastructure and economy. "We have proved to be resilient by bouncing back from each crisis. Agreed, the Covid-19 pandemic has been unprecedented in its sweep and dimension. The best way to come out of this pandemic induced setback is to set the highest premium on the safety of tourists", Venu said. State Tourism Director V R Krishna Teja said the lockdown-weary people from all corners of the world will be treading to safe and healthy places when tourism opens up globally and nationally.
"Going by our natural assets and advanced social milieu, Kerala has immense scope to tap the in-coming rush to unpolluted and less crowded spaces. Creation of a safety shield like the bio-bubble is a vital component in keeping the state tourism sector ready", Teja said.
With the Kerala government setting its goal of inoculating the whole eligible population at the shortest possible span, the COVID-19 vaccination programme is progressing at a brisk pace throughout the state. So far, over 43.37 per cent of the state's total population have been administered the first dose of vaccine and 18.08 per cent with both the doses.
Kerala on Monday reported 13,049 fresh COVID cases pushing the total infection caseload to 35,65,574, with the number of people succumbing to the virus rising to 17,852 after 105 more deaths.
As many as 20,004 people have been cured of the infection since Sunday, taking the total recoveries to 33,77,691 and the number of active cases in the state to1,69,512, a state government release said.
In the last 24 hours, 98,640 samples were tested and the TPR was found to be 13.23 per cent.
So far, 2,86,12,776 samples have been tested, it said.
With inputs from PTI
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First Published:10 Aug 2021, 02:51 PM IST
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