Plettenberg Bay’s tourism industry and the COVID-19 VIRUS
International guests are continuing travel through the Garden Route including Plettenberg Bay as one of their destinations.
It is a matter of public record that the highly contagious coronavirus is already in South Africa and as the local tourism association we feel duty bound to tackle the potential threat with dedication and purpose so as the contribute towards minimizing the potential impact on our town and vital tourism industry.
As of Monday, 16 March 2020, no one has tested positive for COVID-19 in our area, but we must reasonably anticipate that the virus may already be circulating throughout the region. Health officials are testing people daily, in high traffic areas.
Plett Tourism is working within government protocols and encourage all individuals to diligently follow the necessary procedures to avoid infection.
We need to state from the outset that this is a MEDICAL matter and therefore all plans and actions are based on recommendation already in existence from the Department of Health and/or the National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD). At this stage, there is no reason to be alarmed.
The tourism industry is likely to be the primary industry in Plett to be hit the hardest with inevitable knock on consequences for all other industries. We at Plett Tourism will be implementing a campaign that will help mitigate the impact on our own area which, it is hoped, will spread to other centers and assist in mitigating the impact on the country as a whole. Plett Tourism will be engaging with local tourism service providers to assist with these endeavors.
Plett Tourism promotes safe and responsible travel and in solidarity with the industry, don’t cancel – reschedule.
The national hotline number is 0800 029 999
Patients testing positive and requiring treatment for COVID-19 will be treated at one of these hospitals.
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