The Nilgiris has been closed to tourists till March 31, with all tourist places shut down by the district administration in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
J. Innocent Divya, Nilgiris district collector, said that all tourist spots, including the Government Botanical Garden, Rose Garden, Boat House and the Sims Park have been closed till March 31. She also said that notices had been issued to hotels, resorts and homestays to get their guests vacate their premises by Wednesday morning.
The Forest Department said that the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve had been closed to tourists, while all the tourist spots in forest areas run by ecodevelopment committees (EDCs) too had been shutdown.
Ms. Divya also said that teams have been posted at all border checkposts to advise tourists to return home, and not enter the Nilgiris.
“The strategy has been implemented to minimise contact between people and to prevent a nation-wide pandemic,” said Ms. Divya, stating that the necessity to implement such measures had been accelerated due to two people in neighbouring Wayanad having tested positive for COVID-19.
She said that a decision on the fate of the summer festival season, set to start from May 2, will be taken at a later date.
People who need to enter or leave the district till March 31 can still do so, but the district administration has advised residents from travelling outside the Nilgiris as much as possible. People entering the district will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 infection before being allowed in, officials said.
More than 40 teams have also been formed to sanitise public spaces such as bus stands and markets in the district, while the Collector said that strict action would be taken against people spreading false rumours about the spread of COVID-19.
She added that action would be taken against people or businesses found to be hoarding surgical masks or selling them at costs higher than the specified maximum retail price. “People can share information about such businesses at the toll-free number 1077,” said Ms. Divya.
The sudden decision by the State Government to order the closure of all resorts, homestays and hotels has severely impacted foreign tourists, many of whom have nowhere to stay following the announcement.
Sven, a tourist from Switzerland who arrived in the Nilgiris on Monday, said that he had originally planned to stay for more than a week, but was told by the people running the homestay where he was staying to vacate the room by Wednesday. “We have nowhere to stay now as hotel owners across Tamil Nadu are not taking any room bookings, so we are quite unsure about where to stay,” said Sven.
