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Singapore: Heres some good news for those frustrated by the lack of travel options in the Covid-19 era: The Maldives isreopening to international visitors on July 15.

And, yes, that includes U.S. citizens.

Thepicturesque chain of almost 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean has a remote location that lends itself naturally to social distancing, with luxury accommodations focused on private overwater bungalows and much of the activity outdoors as wellall fortunate factors forthe economy of the 400,000-person country thatsheavily dependenton tourism.

International visitors will be allowed only on resort islands and live-aboard boats as of July 15; on Aug. 1,guest houses and hotels on inhabited islands will be allowed to reopen. Of course, that comes with the big caveat that you still have to get thereand then get back.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that anyone traveling on an airplane is at increased risk of contracting Covid-19 because ofclose contact with others at airports and on flights themselves. The CDC alsoadvises anyonereturning to America from another country to stay home for 14 days,avoid contact with others, and monitor for symptoms such asa fever or cough. Conversely, theres the increasedrisk of bringing the virus abroad, as cases trend upwardin the U.S.

In other words: Visiting is no small affair. Nor is it cheap. Because almost every resort in the Maldives is its own private island, many luxury hotels charge upwards of$1,500 a night. (Spending twice that muchis hardly unheard of.) And thats before seaplane or speed boat transfers, which can run a hundreds of dollars round trip.

Also read: How Bali, a tourist hotspot, escaped becoming a virus hotspot

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Still, the Maldives is trying to make it relatively easy, at least on its end.

Tourists are not required to pay an additional fee, produce a certificate ortest result indicative of negative status for Covid-19 prior to entry into Maldives. For tourists without symptoms, there is no requirement for quarantine either, according to anannouncement fromthe Maldives Marketing & PR Corp.

Any tourist who does show Covid-19 symptoms will have to pay for a test, the statement cautioned, adding that people with visible symptoms or those with a history of contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case are advised not to travel to Maldives.

The Maldiveshas been working toward the reopening for weeks. The impact of the pandemic on the tourism sector has ranked up there with the 2004 tsunami and the global financial crisis.

Those who do venture to the archipelago will have some choice. By the end of the month,more than 40resorts out of a total of about 150 properties are expected to be operational, according to the Maldives Ministry of Tourism.TheFour Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru andSoneva Fushiare already open, and theOne & Only Reethi Rahwill open on July 24,andMilaidhoo Islandis slated for an Aug. 1 opening,a list from the ministry showed.

Many resorts are waiting a bit longer, thoughand peak season is from around December to March, anyway. Thats when skies are clearest and tropical temperatures fall to more moderate levels.Almost 50 of the resorts on the countrys list are planning to open around Oct. 1.ComoMaalifushisays it willget going again in mid-November.

Also read: Rs 3,000 crore and 4 lakh jobs, the price Agra tourism is paying for coronavirus

The islandsresorts and accommodations are taking all recommended precautions, a Maldives spokesperson says, and properties have implemented new cleanliness and hygiene protocols to ensure that guests will be safe.

Some of those protocols fall on the more basic side. TheFour Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru says ithas an arrival procedurethat involves a temperature screening and questions about recent travel history.

At theAngsanaVelavaru Maldives resort, all public areas and back-of-house areas are sanitized on an hourly basis, and rooms are deep-cleaned and disinfected with virus-specific protocols,the website says. Temperature checks aremandatory at the spa.

Soneva is taking a stricter approach at its two Maldives resorts, Soneva Jani and SonevaFushi. Sanitizing luggage before passengers even arrive, requiring a real-time PCR Covid-19 test upon arrival (it has invested in a Roche Diagnostics Corp. testing machine), and taking temperatures every day are all part of the process now, according tothe companys website. Theresanother Covid-19 test on the fifth day of the stay. Soneva says its hosts, or staff, are tested every five days, and all materials and produce that are comingonto theislands will undergocleaning and sanitation procedures first.

Although this could be considered as being slightly excessive or overcautious, both Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani are One Island, One Resort; it is our goal to make our private island homes Covid-19 free environments, so that all of our guests can truly relax and engage with our Hosts and fellow travelers and not feel any concern about a risk of infection, the site declares.

If you come up positive, the resorts will still take care of you, with attention from a medical team as you isolate in your villa, and Soneva waiving the daily room rate for the next 14 days. (The value of that stay, in one of Soneva Janis currently-discounted entry-level rooms: $37,723.)

If any guest needs to be hospitalized, the Maldives has built up sufficient hospital and medical capacity to treat Covid-19 effectively, the website says, noting that the hospital on a neighboring island, only 10 minutes away by speedboat, has a new ICU unit with 20 beds. Bloomberg

Also read: With virus hammering tourism, Balis hotels are up for sale and going cheap

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Maldives set to reopen its resort islands to international visitors from 15 July - ThePrint