Canals fringed by swaying palm trees, brackish backwaters, endless spice plantations, freshly made spicy coconut curries, and pink bougainvillea best describe Kerala’s exotic beauty. It is hard for the urban dwellers to not fall in love with Kerala for it takes them back in time – to simpler days, days when the air was pure and the water fresh.
Kerala has no urban fun to offer. It is for those seeking a slow retreat in a safe haven. Its spotless beauty is a spectacle to watch and admire. This self-sufficient village in South India was brought on to the world tourism map for its eco-friendly tourism even before it became a trend in the rest of the country. Munnar being on top of the list. Folks visiting Munnar usually love to take a tour of the place in a safe sanitized vehicle that lets them explore the hill town at their own sweet pace. You can reach out to the safest and most reliable car rentals in Munnar amidst the lockdown here.
How Kerala battled various adversities in the past
The rest of the world has a lot to learn from Kerala. And the last couple of years have only made this true. Kerala has enlightened the rest of the world on how well adversities are handled with efficient planning and coordination. Be it the Nipah virus outbreak or the deluge in 2019, Kerala as it turns out has always come out of each of these adversities better and stronger.
Similarly, when the first few cases of the COVID-19 pandemic were reported here, the government in Kerala was quick in responding to this challenge as well. The preparedness of the state has been one of the major reasons why Kerala is ahead of time in all matters. Be it the quality of air or the insane scale of hygiene checks even in the smallest of its restaurants only makes the rest of wonder why Kerala is the way it is.
Kerala and the COVID preparedness
So when the state was shaken up by the pandemic, this is how Kerala dealt with it –
- In India, Kerala has the highest recovery rate and the lowest mortality rate.
- Kerala is the only state in the country to hire 300 doctors and 400 health inspectors in government hospitals within 24 hours of coronavirus being declared a pandemic.
- COVID Testing Kiosks (WISKs) were set up in India for the first time in Kerala, two at Ernakulam Medical College.
- Kerala is the only state with two COVID hospitals in every district.
- Kerala has the largest number of COVID tests per million people in the state.
Kerala advocates Responsible Tourism
Thousands of ‘Work at Home’ videos are created by Responsible Tourism teams in Kerala to showcase the preparedness and adherence to the new safety and hygiene protocols. The team is also preparing “story-telling” audios and videos in many different languages to keep the morale of the stakeholders as well as travelers across the world high amidst major adversities. The Savaari car rentals in Kannur particularly did a great job of helping locals undertake the unavoidable travel during the lockdown.
Needless to say, Kerala battled with COVID so bravely, illuminating the rest of the world how efficient their local self-government and self-help groups are. Therefore, as the world will prepare itself to step into the new normal, Kerala will be one of the first choices of travelers for its ecotourism, secluded, isolated places, and ayurvedic wellness – a need that will only increase given some of the toughest and most uncertain days mankind has seen in the last 100 years.
