Health Ministry instructs hotel industry to follow strict Corona virus protocol

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued guidelines to the hotel industry, detailing the procedure to be followed wherever persons with potential exposure to COVID-19 are housed.

The hotel staff at the reception should be well versed in hand and respiratory hygiene and follow due protocol if a guest develop symptoms, the ministry has advised. All guests should be asked about their travel history and information has to be gathered if they have been to any of the affected area in the past 14 days.

The hotels should provide alcohol based hand-rubs containing 70% alcohol to guests in public areas such as the reception, lobby, gym, conference area and the business centre. If the guests develop respiratory symptoms, they have to be provided surgical masks immediately. If the guests develop fever, sore throat and breathlessness, a well identified hospital has to be called. If required, an ambulance may be called in.

The causative agent in the outbreak of the Corona virus is the SARS-CoV2, which is an enveloped RNA virus. The Corona viruses are transmitted in most cases through large respiratory droplets.

Due to the potential survival of the virus in the environment for a week, the premises should be cleaned well before reuse. “Although there is a lack of specific evidence for their effectiveness against the SARS-CoV2 virus, cleaning with water and household detergents and use of common disinfectant products should be sufficient for general precautionary cleaning. Tests carried out using SARS-CoV showed that sodium hypochlorite is effective,” the ministry stated in its communication.

The hotel staff and cleaning crew should be well aware of the symptoms and should report immediately any health hazards. Appropriate protective equipment should be worn at all times, the statement from the Ministry added.