Goa; Post-Unlock 4.0, Goans have started going out while maintaining social distancing. Beaches like Calangute and Baga, which were much loved by locals for years, suddenly saw an influx in tourists over the last couple of years and were being avoided by many.
As travel restrictions ease, many people are heading out to Goa which slashed rates in hotels. Goa reported a comparatively low account of COVID cases. Earlier this month the state relaxed all the restrictions on travelers with mandatory testing and isolation.
Goa’s Unlocked Restaurants Are Starved for Customers After 5-Month Break
Goa allowed its restaurants and bars to open for dine-in customers after a five-month-long ban. Tables, however, despite rules for social distancing in place, remain largely empty as the state witnesses a steep spike in coronavirus infections. Goa also has a highest number of cases per million population than any other state. Yet Goa is rolling out the red carpet to visitors as it’s the tourism-led economy has all but collapsed due to the pandemic. After the center’s Unlock 4 guidelines, there is no more health vetting of tourists entering Goa.
Recently, a Mumbai-based travel content creator, Shenaz Treasury, came under fire for having escaped to Goa after the state government opened its doors to tourism. In her Instagram posts, we see Treasury exclaiming at the emptiness of Goa streets, reveling in the freedom she feels after being shut in her home under lockdown, and justifying her escapade as helping the state’s tourism industry. Soon after, Goans started commenting on her posts, some berating her for not wearing a mask, and others denouncing her glorification of Goan tourism during a time when the state is still seeing an uptick in Covid19 cases while dealing with an overwhelmed healthcare system.
Many Goans are upset that tourists are being freely allowed to come to Goa while COVID-19 levels are spiking. At the same time, the economy needs to open up given that so many Goans have lost income. But the opening has been accompanied by anger among Goans at tourists ignoring safety norms. There is also anger at both staff and patrons in some restaurants, particularly in North Goa, going maskless.
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