Dept of Tourism authorizes 8 hotels in Naga to offer quarantine accomodation

NAGA CITY---The Department of Tourism (DOT) Bicol regional office has authorized eight hotels here to offer quarantine accomodation for locally stranded individuals (LSIs) who came from areas with numerous cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infections.

Alec Santos, Arts, Culture, and Tourism Office (ACTO) chief said that hotel quarantine is intended for LSIs and returning residents who want to avail the service so as decongest the quarantine facilities established by the city government.

He said hotel quarantine is also open to returning residents who are symptomatic or suffering from other illnesses; people who cannot isolate themselves from the rest of their households; and persons who have immuno-compromised relatives at home.

Santos said these eight hotels are accredited and consisted of 156 rooms. So far, five of these rooms were already occupied by five guests who were on quarantine.

He said the cost of the room ranges from P1,000 to P2,000 per day depending on the hotel classification.

Santos declined to make public the names of the eight hotels for confidetiality purposes. An individual who wants to avail of hotel quarantine will be informed of the hotels’ identity once he expresses interest to be quarantined in a hotel.

He said that persons who will need hotel quarantine will be handed a list of the hotels at the JMR coliseum. A person who is quarantined in a hotel room will not receive room service for seven days to avoid personal contacts with hotel staff.

"After seven days, a medical team will be sent for the guest for rapid test. Once tested negative, the guest will be subjected to home quarantine or may choose to extend his/her stay at the hotel room for more days" he said.

Santos said there are designated hotel personnel who will leave the foods and other necessities of their quarantined guests outside their doors.

He said in order for a hotel in the city to operate and offer hotel quarantine, they must have certificate of authority to operate from the DOT and should comply with the health protocols and regulations of the local government.

As of press time, ACTO is negotiating with other hotels in the city that are interested to offer quarantine service.