And so while travel into the country is being simplified greatly, the restrictions that were governing tourists while here are also being significantly relaxed.
Under the regional guidelines, tourists were basically very comfortable prisoners at the Gold Standard Hotels where they were staying. And they could only leave in hotel sponsored tours.
It's an oppressive requirement, especially for people who have tested negative for COVID either upon arrival or just before - and - right about now - are more likely to catch COVID from the community, than they are to give it to the community.
Such is the current state of COVID contagion locally, and that's why the Prime Minister said the Oversight Committee thought it practical to relax he regulations of the safe corridor for tourists:
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"So the safe corridor protocols will continue, but in a transform carnation. We were worried before the re-opening of the PGIA and when we were doing far better than we are now that the fear that tourists coming in could infect the local population was something we had to account for. Well before that October 1st re-opening it's become clear that we are infecting ourselves. No matter how fervently we preach the gospel and we will try to be even more ardent going forward, the border jumping, the contra- banding continues apace and that principally in my view is the reason for the explosion in cases. So we've done it to ourselves. There is no question now of worrying about the tourists infecting the local population. The local population is infecting itself."
"Is it that we need to worry about protecting the locals from the tourists that are coming in or is it that we need to worry about protecting the tourists from the locals that are here? There is not any serious likelihood of any tourist being able to infect anybody, because the tourist are negative. Why then should they be confined to the property at which they are booked to stay? No, they should be allowed to interact rather more freely with the local population in terms of visiting gift shops, in terms of visiting other restaurants. When you tell them wherever you stay, if you stay for 10 days, you must only have meals from that particular establishment. It doesn't make sense and as I said it is prone to be a huge deterrent, in terms of trying to attract the visitors."
Car rental agencies - with tracking devices on the cars - will also now be allowed to rent to travellers travelling in the tourism corridor.
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