Going the greater mile for lovers

SOME hoteliers are making an extra effort to ensure that Valentine's Day is spared the dreaded Covid-19.

From ensuring sanitisers are made available to the lovebirds, to encouraging them to be fully vaccinated and boosted, together with undergoing self-testing with their partners –

every precautionary step possible is being lined up for February 14.

The aim is to ensure that the lovers' rendezvous can make a comeback, as such days bring much-needed revenue to the coffers of the food and beverage outlets. 

Valentine's Day, which falls on the same day every year, is now under siege after the virus made a comeback in the past few days with a staggering 17,134 cases on Wednesday.

Although the National Security Council has not banned the celebration, there is fear that the virus will once again ruin the day devoted to loving gestures.

For the last two years, the day of romance has been replaced by online exchanges of love and video conferencing at home while hotels, which used to enjoy brisk sales on such days, were largely devoid of any activity due to the lockdowns.

Hoteliers are now worried that for the third consecutive year, Valentine's Day may just be a dull affair for all.

The day of romance and affection is usually observed by courting and married couples, families, and of late by close friends as a tribute to the myth of undying love.

The tale of Valentine Day's is infused with mystery, but the popular version is of the Christian priest named Valentine, who was put to death on the orders of the Roman Emperor Claudius II Gothicus on grounds that the pious man was helping couples get married.

Claudius did not believe in men getting married. He wanted single men for his army.

Or another tale is that the imprisoned priest sent the first-ever "Valentine" greeting known to the world after he fell in love with a young girl, who was his jailor's daughter.

She kept an eye on him during his confinement.

Before he died, he sent the romantic note by signing off with "Your Valentine."

As Kedah marked a staggering 35% increase in cases, driven by the Omicron variant, the Star City Hotel's sales and marketing manager Justlyn Lai and her human resources manager Bazrina Ismail lamented about the impact that Covid-19 could inflict on Valentine's Day.

In the past, they had often taken pride in seeing that love is in the air at their hotel, but this year, they are wondering aloud if good can triumph over the evil virus.

Lai hopes that couples, families, and friends will not be spurned by the spike in Covid-19 cases. She acknowledges that it is difficult to promote the event, as people are afraid to be out during a pandemic.

However, the hotel will strictly abide by the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and encourage those attending the dinner to conduct self-testing as a precaution.

Also, the hotel will limit the number of patrons at its restaurant here.

Lai said that the chefs are coming out with a delectable menu for the diners.

Reginald Thomas Pereira, who manages the Tanjung Rhu Resort at Langkawi, through the Aariana Hospitality International Sdn Bhd, said that the resort will maintain temperature checks at its eateries and the bistro.

"We will do this despite that the nationwide order to disband with temperature checks comes into force on February 11. We remain committed to ensuring that the SOPs will continue to be reinforced to ensure that we can minimise the threat from Covid-19."

Pereira said that the resort will have its annual Valentine's Day dinner at the seaside and to not confine the diners to areas with poor ventilation.

"We will also limit it to 10 couples only."

Pereira also encourages guests to subject themselves to self-testing, saying the kits are fully subsidised at RM5 each, so there is no issue about affordability.

He added that the resorts test its staffers once every week as part of the SOPs.

Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) vice-president Khoo Boo Lim said that the hoteliers are caught in a no-win situation. If they do not promote the event, others may do so.

"After reeling from the pandemic, I think most hotels want to promote Valentine's Day to illustrate that they are rebuilding their businesses."

He said that he was told that Omicron variant is more infectious but not as lethal as the others, so there is hope that the pandemic can eventually become endemic.

Khoo also called on his fellow hoteliers to abide by the SOPs and to underscore a sense of resoluteness in addressing the challenges brought on by Covid-19.

"We must live with Covid-19 every day, including on Valentine's Day," he said. – The Vibes, February 11, 2022