It has been several months since news of COVID-19 broke out. Almost all countries now have cases. While some may have already reached its peak, some countries are still struggling to contain the virus.
Since there is no mass vaccination yet for all countries, it is expected that it will take some more months or a couple of years for this disease to be fully contained.
With so many cases of COVID-19, hospitals are now experiencing full capacity or even overcapacity. Due to this scenario, the government is converting many places into quarantine wards. This includes hotels.
Hotels are now being repurposed. Although this can be a fearful scenario for hotel owners, there can still be a positive side to it.
Hotels to be used as a Quarantine Ward
There are several classifications for those that may have COVID-19. They can persons under monitoring (PUM), persons under investigation (PUI), or those people who have already contracted the virus.
If diagnosed already with COVID-19, these are symptomatic and asymptomatic. For those showing symptoms, especially those who are already having difficulty breathing, they are already required to go to the hospitals.
For those classified as PUM or PUI or asymptomatic ones, they are asked to do quarantine. It is advised now by so many hospitals that they do quarantine at home. But what if their home is not suitable? What if their homes have vulnerable or immune-compromised members?
The answer is to house them now in hotels near the hospitals. This way, they can be locked in a hotel room and keep their family safe.
The government is doing all it can to try to look for ways in containing the virus. Housing these suspected cases or those asymptomatic ones in hotels is one of the most feasible ways in fighting this virus.
Hotels can House Front Liners
Other hotels are also tapped by the government to be wards not for those PUI or PUM but front liners. For the doctors and nurses, it is extra difficult to endure the excruciating long hours at work taking care of patients. It is difficult for them to have to go home and commute while public transport is not easily available. What is worse is the fear that they can be carriers of the virus without them knowing it.
Front liners certainly do not want to risk their loved ones and family members. Hence, hotels are also now tapped to help these front liners.
Hotels across hospitals are now being contracted by the government or the hospital management to house their staff. This way they can rest more and assure safety for their family members.
Gains of Helping the Government and the Community
It is scary for hotel owners to lend their hotels as a quarantine facility or to house front liners. But is there really a gain to this?
They can look at it this way. With the current situation, the travel and hospitality industry is extremely down. Tourists have massively declined with all the lock-down, travel bans, and COVID-19 scare.
There is almost no income for hotels given this situation. By using the hotels as quarantine ward or to house front liners, there can still be continuous income. Governments and hospitals can pay these hotels or even the guests themselves who just want to isolate themselves. Leading insurance brokers in Perth can help you determine what support you can get and what insurance benefits you might receive.
Aside from the income, allowing the hotels to be used as quarantine wards can mean a positive image for the hotels. News agencies would find this selfless act as newsworthy.
Helping the community to fight COVID-19 will surely be remembered by the general public. When all these are over, these hotels can be remembered as those who have served the public.
Ensuring Safety for the Hotel and Its Staff
How can hotels ensure safety for the other guests and their staff?
– Frequent disinfection
Hotels should make sure that they properly disinfect the whole hotel on a more frequent basis. Make sure the lobbies or common areas and rooms are exceptionally disinfected. Make sure the right chemical agents that are effective in removing the virus are used.
– Wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Once the guests leave, it would be good to have the staff cleaners to wear personal protective equipment to ensure their safety. This is especially as they touch objects that have been used by the guests.
– Contactless Service
Before the pandemic, hotels pride themselves with exceptional front-facing customer service. Hospital staff is normally very warm, accommodating, and friendly. When a guest asks for something for room service, the hotel staff delivers it personally.
However, now with COVID-19, operations are amended. Contactless service should be practiced. One example is delivering food. Hotel can call the guest that they are about to deliver food to the room. When staff arrives, they can knock at the door to alert the guest. They can then leave the food on a table outside the room for guests to pick-up. Payments and other services can also be done via phone calls and using electronic manners.
There are definite advantages in making hotels a quarantine ward. The main benefit is being able to help fight COVID-19. The more people and groups trying to help out, the faster we can all beat this virus, and the sooner we can all go back to where we were. Hotels that are re-purposed to help fight COVID-19 will surely make a mark to the public.
