J&K to open for tourism tomorrow even as doctors call for re-imposing lockdown

Only tourists travelling by air will be allowed entry into the Union territory

kashmir tourism Representational image

The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to open the Union territory for tourists and issued guidelines for tourists and those engaged in the hospitality sector in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourists over 65 years of age have been advised to avoid visiting Jammu and Kashmir in view of the pandemic.

The move has come at a time when the doctors in Kashmir have urged the government to consider re-imposing a lockdown due to increasing death toll from COVID-19.

The number of people who have died of COVID-19 has reached 182 in the Union territory, the majority of fatalities being recorded in Kashmir.

Dr Nisar-ul Hassan, who heads the doctors union in Kashmir, recently asked the government to impose ‘lockdown-2’ in view of the increasing number of deaths in Kashmir.

As per the guidelines issued by the government, only tourists travelling by air will be allowed entry into the Union territory and will be subjected to COVID-19 testing on arrival at the airports. The tourists will need a pre-booked accommodation and transport facility.

The guidelines have been issued by the State Executive Committee, Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction and will come into effect from Tuesday, with an aim to partially open the sector in a phased manner. In the first phase, the partial opening of the sector for outside visitors will be allowed for those arriving by air only.

The tourists must have confirmed hotel bookings for the duration of their stay as well as confirmed return air tickets, either to their departure point or any other destination outside Jammu and Kashmir. Pre-booked online accommodation in hotels, guest houses or houseboats is mandatory for the tourists. The proof of the same will be checked on arrival. Taxis/transport facilities also have to be pre-booked through hotel/travel agencies, for which procedures will be put in place by the tourism department.

At the airport, the tourists will have to undergo compulsory RT PCR testing and shall remain in the pre-booked accommodation till the test shows a negative result for COVID-19.  The test results shall be made available within 24 hours.

The tourists will have to sign a form for compliance of the protocols at the airport. The hotel management is required to ensure compliance by the tourists.

Tourists whose tests return positive will be sent for treatment to a medical facility as per the protocol.

Tourists arriving with COVID-19 negative reports from their departure points will not be required to remain isolated in hotels. They shall, however, be also required to give their sample for RT PCR testing on arrival at the airport.

All tourists should have the Aarogya Setu app installed on their phones, which shall be checked for `safe’ status on the app at the time of arrival before entering the airport premises.

Violation of the guidelines will invite penal action by the government.

The move to allow tourists into the Union territory has come after the decision to throw open parks and gardens in the Union territory.