All the beach destinations and public parks in Kozhikode district were reopened to visitors on Friday considering the improving COVID-19 situation. Police squads from various stations have been deployed at the sites to control crowd and enforce safety protocol.
District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) officials said more cautionary boards explaining safety protocol would be placed at the reopened sites including the Kozhikode beach and Vadakara sand banks. Disinfection work would be carried out at regular intervals by trained staff, they said.
Spot action
An official attached to the Tourism Department said screening measures would be intensified at all the destinations. Spot action would be initiated against those who turn up without wearing masks and flouting physical-distancing norms, he said. According to officials, traders will also be screened for the safety of visitors. Elderly persons with lifestyle diseases and children below 10 years would be discouraged from visiting the spots. They also made it clear that the situation would be reviewed further on the basis of newly reported cases and test positivity rate.
Though beaches had been opened earlier as part of a trial, poor cooperation on the part of the public in complying with safety protocol forced the authorities to revoke the decision.
Kappad beach was one such destinations, where many persons reportedly contracted the virus following the increase in the number of visitors. Many cleaning labourers had been quarantined after confirming the viral infection.
Meanwhile, the reopening of some of the parks and eco-tourism spots turned out to be a rewarding experience for the authorities as well-informed visitors strictly followed the safety guidelines. Moreover, the presence of sufficient number of security personnel and the online entry fee payment system made their task easier.