Kenya: Tourism Sector Craft Rules as It Readies for Awaited Re-Opening
You will now be required to declare in advance your travel history and medical status, before visiting the various tourism facilities. This is part of the new protocols that the tourism sector has formulated that it hopes, will provide a step by step process of a careful reopening of the sector.
The Magical Kenya Tourism Health and Safety Protocols covers various sectors within the industry, and will now require tourism facilities to establish and maintain documented list of emergency contacts, reporting system and evacuation procedures for any arising health related incidents at the facility. The protocols, which will be adopted once the hotels have conformed with the Ministry of Health measures, will now introduce a new normal to a sector that has borne the heaviest burden of the pandemic, as almost all hotels shut down, letting go thousands of workers.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said that the main objective of the protocols was to inculcate institutional operational and staff preparedness. This is in a bid to ensure service provision meets World Health Organization guidelines and Kenya's Ministry of Health measures aimed at preventing spread of Covid-19. "These protocols will ensure a safe experience for visitors/guests and service providers, while helping rebuild trust and confidence, hence increase and sustain demand for holiday and investment in the destination," said Mr Balala.
The protocols now demand that tourism facilities staff shall have valid Covid-19 free certification for core staff, not more than 14 days old, from a government approved facility and subsequently maintain Covid-19 prevention guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Health. "Establishments shall provide staff with appropriate, quality and sufficient approved Personal Protective Equipment. The Staff shall also maintain physical distance of 1.5 metres apart from guests at all times," the new rules say.
Where a staff member is confirmed Covid-19 positive, all staff on that members' shift team, shall self-isolate for 14 days, after which they shall be tested, and Covid-19 free staff allowed to return to work. For accommodation establishments, consideration to accommodate higher risk staff to stay within the establishments may be given, to avoid public transport risks. Now, the tourist accommodation, food and beverage outlets are expected to institute a Food Safety Management System to prevent contamination to clients, staff and supply chain workers.
"Tourism practitioners shall redesign the physical workspace and work processes to ensure compliance with physical distancing of not less than 1.5 metres apart and institute hygiene operations, sanitation and minimal contact between persons," the new rules read in part. As a mandatory precautionary measure, tourism and travel establishments shall be expected to appoint a designated health, safety and hygiene officer or team in place always, depending on the size of the facility. The key role of this officer or team will be to conduct risk assessments of all aspects of operation in-line with the guidelines on Covid-19 pandemic.
The officers shall also be tasked with monitoring compliance with standard operating procedures specific to the different areas of operations. The new protocols will require hotels to provide an avenue for the visitor /guest to undertake a declaration of their travel history and medical status. "The facilities will be expected to make arrangement for advance bookings/reservation as a pre-requisite for guests visiting the facility. They will also make provisions to enable guests complete medical and travel declaration form online, at the time of reservation/booking," it says.
The guests and visitors will also now be expected to wear appropriate, quality personal protective equipment (masks) except when in their room(s) or while dining. This is also expected of the staff. The hotels are also expected to develop cleaning procedures with appropriate disinfectants/sanitisers focusing on guest's body, luggage, travel documents and high-frequency touch points/surfaces.
"Guest luggage shall either be sprayed with a disinfection spray after off-loading, or wiped, and all handles and corners carefully wiped with surface sanitiser," it says.
