MIRI – Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing wants a crackdown on hotels operating as Covid-19 quarantine centres that take the virus threat for granted.
He has called for surprise checks on these premises to weed out operators more interested in making money than ensuring the health and safety of guests and the public.
Tiong has led an operation with health inspectors to check such hotels in his constituency.
The team found that some establishments have rooms that were not cleaned despite hosting individuals under mandatory quarantine, he revealed in his social media updates.
The Progressive Democratic Party president said there must be strict guidelines on sanitisation and hygiene standards for every room drawn up by the state Disaster Management Committee (DMC), its district-level counterparts and the Health Department.
There have been complaints about some hotels not meeting the required standards, he said.
“It is high time the DMC and Health Department have strict SOPs on the sanitisation and disinfection of hotels used for quarantine purposes.
“Once a guest completes their isolation and checks out, the hotel management must observe strict guidelines on sanitising the room.
“If the authorities find that the hotel has not adhered to these SOPs, they should have the right to withhold payment to the hotel.”
Each establishment must also provide the necessary sanitisation products, including sprays, disinfectants, brooms, mops and garbage bags, he said.
“There needs to be a fixed hygiene SOP for guests under quarantine, such as regularly changing the bedsheets and pillow covers, and procedures to disinfect the room during the quarantine period.”
Tiong said the hotel industry has been dealt a great financial blow during the virus lockdown, so having them serve as quarantine centres is a win-win solution for both the government and sector.
However, to deserve this source of income that helps them avoid bankruptcy, hoteliers must hold up their end of the bargain by properly maintaining their properties’ cleanliness and hygiene, and not just pocket the money and offer poorly maintained rooms.
“There have been numerous complaints, such as pillowcases and bedsheets not being changed, dirty toilets, and even guests’ leftover food. Hair and dust left behind. Even healthy people would get sick living in such filth.
“How can these hotels call their properties ‘quarantine centres’?”
Blacklist repeat offenders
Tiong said DMC and Health Department personnel in each district must carry out surprise checks to ensure hotel operators meet hygiene standards.
“They must take immediate action against hotels that fail to uphold these standards, and seize the fees due to them unless steps are taken to rectify the situation.
“For repeat offenders, the authorities must remove these hotels from the list of those serving as quarantine centres.”
The authorities must continue to closely monitor Covid-19 cases, including identifying patients’ homes, workplaces and close contacts, he added.
“These cases must continue to be isolated and undergo follow-up testing, particularly those living in rented rooms.
“These are in high-density residential areas, where people’s movement occurs at a high rate.”
He emphasised the need for frequent swab tests on residents.
“Not paying enough attention to potential cases means that the coronavirus outbreak has a high chance of going out of control.
“To avoid valuable resources, like manpower and time, being tied up with more clusters, it is necessary to isolate all close contacts and cut off the chain of transmission as soon as possible.”
Bintulu, Kuching, Miri and Sibu are among the worst-hit by the virus of Sarawak’s 40 districts.
The state has seen over 400 deaths and more than 65,000 infections. – The Vibes, July 2, 2021
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