State executive councillor Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said five committees in the task force will cover the pandemic, security, entry point control, urban beautification and community.

He said 90% of the island’s residents are dependent on tourism.

Sharkar said the state government had suggested that tourists be allowed to only board ferries at Teluk Gading jetty (previously known as Tanjung Gemok) in Rompin, and not from Mersing, Johor, another entry point to Pulau Tioman, to facilitate Covid-19 screening and inspection.

Tourists can purchase self-test kits at the jetty or elsewhere, but testing must be done at the jetty terminal. Those who test positive will be taken to the Covid-19 assessment centre before being sent to Rompin Hospital or the nearest Covid-19 low-risk quarantine and treatment centre.

Sharkar said activities that are allowed are beach activities, water sports, surface and scuba diving, fishing, sailing, cycling, camping, mountaineering and academic visits to Taman Laut.

Pulau Tioman has 103 hotels and homestays offering 1,821 rooms, 88 boat operators and 30 dive centres. In 2019 before the pandemic hit the country, the island received 276,232 tourists, including 86,257 foreign tourists.

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