COVID-19 Lockdown: Hoteliers In PH Lose N1bn

Following the lockdown imposed by the Rivers State Government as one of the measures to check the coronavirus infection in the state, the hospitality business has so far lost over one billion Naira due to low patronage.
Chairman, Rivers State Chapter of the Hotel Association, Mr Eugene Nwauzi, who made this known yesterday, said the hospitality business is one of the worst hit from the lockdown.
Speaking during an advocacy visit on him by the Rivers State Rapid Response Team on COVID-19 in the state, Nwauzi said from findings, over 60 per cent of hotels have been closed in the state as a result of the lockdown.
“The hospitality industry is the worst hit. This is because there’s a great loss for hotel managers, we have lost over one billion Naira in the hotels operating in Rivers State.
“Hotels are shut down, bars and guest houses are also shut down, over sixty per cent hotels are shut down because there’s no patronage”, he said.
The hospitality boss explained that in spite of this, the association has taken upon itself the responsibility of ensuring that the industry adheres strictly to preventive measures as recommended by the Rivers State Government.
Earlier in her speech, the leader of the Rivers State Rapid Response Team on COVID-19, Dr Doris Nria, stated that the essence of the visit was to sensitise members of the industry on the effective measures to prevent coronavirus infection amongst members and clients.
According to her, as a group that has to do with Risk Communication and Social Mobilisation, “we have really taken time to draw up different plans of high risk areas where we would go and sensitise people for the purpose of enlightenment.
“Hotel hospitality industry is one specific and peculiar area we need to explore, knowing that they are the people that harbour all the expatriates.
“There are also people that chose to spend days or months out of their homes, and their option is to stay in the hotel.
“If the hotels are not adequately sensitised, somebody can easily lodge and get infected, because infected persons may also lodge in the hotel without knowing that they are infected, and before you know it, they infect others.
“So, we need to educate the hotel association on how to identify and handle issues of COVID-19”, she said.
On his part, the representative of Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) from the National Rapid Response Team, Dr Pius Ononigwe, noted the vulnerability of the hospitality industry to COVID-19 infection, warranting the need to sensitise them.
“We want to ensure that they (hoteliers) understand that the index of suspicion is very high amongst them. Though it has not been linked to any of the hotels, we want to be proactive, go ahead of time”, he said.
At the end of the visit, the leadership of the hospitality industry and the State Rapid Response Team agreed to synergise towards the prevention of COVID-19 infection.

By: Sogbeba Dokubo