Health

Vaccine tourism, a life preserver for a beaten down sector in Uruguay

Montevideo, Jul 27 (EFE).- On a continent heavily hit by Covid-19, where a large number of the countries have fully vaccinated less than 15 percent of their populations, Uruguay wants to show its strength and develop "vaccine tourism" to give a push to a sector that has been economically devastated by the pandemic.This initiative - being pushed by lawmakers, provincial governments and the private sector - seeks to attract tourists who, besides being interested in the country's bona fide tourist attractions, also want to receive anti-Covid shots that they cannot get in their home countries.SOUND BITES: THE COLORADO PARTY LAWMAKER NIBIA REISCH AND DEPUTY TOURISM MINISTER, REMO MONZEGLIO ( IN SPANISH)TRANSLATIONS:Colorado Party lawmaker Nibia Reisch:1. For those tourists who are not vaccinated, our proposal is for them to enter the country with a negative PCR test, and then go with a safe conduct pass to a hotel where they have to remain for seven days. Then, they will once again take a PCR test and will get the vaccine. If the second test is negative, they can travel freely.Deputy Tourism Minister Remo Monzeglio:1. It would not only be a significant boost for tourism, but also a message of solidarity with other countries that don't have the vaccination rate that Uruguay has.