KOCHI: The state government’s decision to allow Keralites returning from abroad and other states to use paid quarantine facilities seems to be getting good response for the designated hotels as 15 persons opted for the paid facility in Ernakulam alone.With more Malayalis returning to the state every day, the hoteliers hope the queries they have received will translate into bookings soon. In Ernakulam, the district administration has identified 25 hotels, including KTDC Bolgatty and Lotus8 A’Part Hotel in Nedumbassery. Around 700 rooms have been identified in these hotels.
“We’re getting frequent queries from Gulf-based expatriates and people who want to return from other states. Currently, we have two guests who returned from Gulf countries. Every day we get calls from abroad and those coming from abroad. We’ve around 50 air-conditioned rooms set aside for paid quarantine in our hotels,” a KTDC official said.
The response at Lotus8 A’Part hotel was similar. “Currently, our six rooms are occupied by guests on quarantine. A total of eight guests preferred our hotel for quarantine facility. A few more guests are expected in the next couple of days. We’ve two guests who reached from other states on paid quarantine. We’ve been receiving a lot of calls from Tuesday morning. We hope that, with more flights coming, more people will opt for paid quarantine facility. We are ready to take care of the guests and they can happily stay here for 7-14 days with all facilities, including the food they like to have,” an official with the hotel said.
Apart from this, people who come from other states and districts for medical purpose prefer to stay at hotels. The daily rent of rooms in the hotels is in the range of `1,000- `7,500, excluding taxes. The arrangements, based on the guidelines issued by the Health Department, are in such a way that there will not be any contact between the hotel staff and the guests under quarantine.
“The guests can order food using intercom and it will be placed on a table just outside their rooms. The plates will not be touched by the staff. Instead, the guest has to place it in the bin with a foot-controlled lid. The staff will pick the bin and dip it in chemicals for two hours before taking it for cleaning. Similarly, room cleaning will be done by the guests. Bed sheets and covers will be handled the way we do with food plates,” KTDC official said.
Persons interested in paid-quarantine should book online or over telephone. The booking receipt, which will be sent via e-mail, should be shown at the airport or railway station on arrival. The returnees should also book taxi cars or arrange them from the airport.“If the person in paid quarantine shows any symptoms during their stay, it has to be informed to hotel authorities. The hotel will contact health officials who will examine the patient and decide whether to shift the person to hospital isolation,” said an official with the health department.
Kerala Tourism joint director (Ernakulam) K Raj Kumar said the initiative would benefit hoteliers who are witnessing minimal tourist footfall. “Initially we had chosen around 150 hotels and lodging facilities for paid quarantine in the district. Later, we gave a list of 20 hotels to the district administration. There are more hotels which can provide paid quarantine facility,” he said.