KUCHING, June 22: Bintulu MP Dato Sri Tiong King Sing is calling on the authorities to withhold payment to quarantine hotels or lodgings which fail to ensure proper cleaning and disinfection of their rooms after every stay.
He made this call after receiving many complaints over the matter including complaints on unchanged pillow cases, bed sheets, unclean toilets, and even leftover food.
“Even healthy people would get sick living in this kind of environment (for 14 days). How can these hotels call their properties (sic quarantine centres?” he questioned in a statement on his Facebook page yesterday.
Hence, Tiong stressed that it is high time for the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) and State Health Department to come up with comprehensive cleaning standard operating procedures (SOP) for hotels or lodgings in Bintulu district to ensure these facilities are safe and hygienic for quarantine and isolation purposes.
“Once guests have completed the quarantine process and checked out, the hotel management must follow a strict set of guidelines on how to properly and thoroughly clean and sanitise the rooms.
“If the authorities find that the hotel fails to adhere to these standards, they must have the right to withhold the payment to the hotel,” he said.
Other than full cleaning and disinfection, Tiong, who is also the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to China, pointed out that the quarantine hotels must also provide all the necessary sanitisation and disinfection products including sprays, disinfectants, broom, mop and garbage bags for individual rooms.
“There must also be a fixed schedule under the SOP for guests, such as for regular change of bed sheet and pillow covers as well as simple cleaning and disinfection of the room during the quarantine period.
“This is to maintain an overall safe and hygienic quarantine environment,” he added.
Noting that the hotel industry was severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Tiong gave the reminder that the arrangement to convert hotels into quarantine centres was a win-win solution for industry players and the government.
“However, to deserve this source of income, hoteliers must hold up their end of the deal by properly maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of their properties,” he said. — DayakDaily
