Goa reopens for domestic tourists today, no quarantine on arrival; check guidelines

One of the most travelled and preferred beach getaway, Goa has been opened for domestic tourist from Friday (July 3, 2020) amid the coronavirus pandemic. Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar gave the information and said that over 250 hotels will resume operations in the state. 

"We have decided to allow domestic travellers to enter Goa from July 2 onwards provided they comply with certain norms," Ajgaonkar said.

The goa government has issued guidelines and regulations in three stages: before travel, during travel and on arrival. Here's the full guidelines for tourists travelling to Goa

(1) Pre-booking hotel is mandatory. Only the hotels with the highest safety and hygiene stands have been allowed to open.

(2) Fill up a self-declaration form which will be available at the pre-booked hotel.

(3) Quarantine upon arrival is not required (carry a COVID-19 negative certificate from last 48 hours or get tested in Goa at your own cost).

Travel: Tourists can enter by road (Dodamarg, Patradevi, Keri, Mollem, Pollem), air (Dabolim International Airport) and train (Madgaon, Thivim and Vasco da Gama).

On arrival: 

(1.) At every respective entry point, tourists, upon arrival, will undergo basic screening through a thermal gun.

(2.) Get mandatory documents checked bat tourism kiosks (see before travel).

(3.) Tourists’ swab sample will be collected at state entry points; those with COVID-19 certificate can skip the next two steps.

(4.) Check-in at your accommodation and stay in isolation for two weeks until the result comes.

(5.) Your results will come in 1-2 days. If negative, you can stay in Goa; however, if positive, institution quarantine will be required.

Over 250 hotels across Goa reopened on Thursday after state government’s order. Goa’s current coronavirus count stands at nearly 1,400.

Meanwhile, Goa on Thursday reported its highest single-day spike of 95 COVID19 cases, pushing tally to 1,482.