Coronavirus impact: COVID-19 pandemic hits Kerala tourism; fewer tourists seen at Kovalam beach

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The Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic is massively affecting Kerala's tourism industry. Even the famous tourist spot of Kovalam beach, which is usually swarmed with tourists, was seen deserted on Sunday. Kerala has so far reported 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

"After the coronavirus outbreak, the situation has been very bad. Day by day, a less number of people are coming to the beach," one of the vendors at the beach told news agency ANI.

"The business is zero," he added.

Speaking to ANI, Manoj Kumar, Secretary-General, South Kerala Hoteliers Forum said: "We are supporting the government and health department activities for coronavirus prevention. We are supporting the guests -- foreign and domestic travellers -- who are with us."

The travellers are not allowed to go outside the resort and hotel premises.

"Till their check out date, we are holding them back and giving them all possible facilities. We are not allowing them to go to the beach or any kind of public contact we are avoiding."

Hotels and resorts here inform the government authorities as soon as any foreign guest checks-in. "We put them in quarantine in the hotel for 14 days," he said.

Kumar said that half of advance booking of rooms has been cancelled but a few people who have reached India, they tend to come down. "We can't deny them rooms. We inform Health and Tourism Departments to avoid any confusion," added Manoj.

The number of coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 107, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today.

In the wake of spurt in cases of coronavirus across the country, the Central government on Saturday decided to treat the deadly virus as a "notified disaster." The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared coronavirus as a pandemic.

(With inputs from ANI)

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