News

Dismay over some Statia Quarantine Locations

reporter
23-08-2020 - 3 minuten leestijd
The Balcony on one of the rooms looks like it has not been maintained or even cleaned in a very long time.

Oranjestad, The physical state of some of the hotels used for the mandatory quarantine of residents returning to the island, was cause for some upheaval at the end of last week.

Various people arriving on the island for their 2-week quarantine contacted the BES-Reporter with dismay and in some cases even shock when it comes to the state of the hotel rooms allotted to them.

The complaints in this case were targeted towards one of the hotels on the Bay. “I cannot believe how bad the room looks, and the whole condition of the place” said one person directly involved. “Not only is there a general lack of upkeep, but also a lack of cleanliness”.

The disarray of wires on top of a fridge in one of the rooms is not only visually displeasing, but may actually be dangerous.

Questions were also raised if the hotels used for the mandatory quarantine have been assessed beforehand by the Health Department or Social and Welfare Directorate. This does not seem to have been the case.

Costs

This is not the first time that the mandatory quarantine has been criticized, as residents are also required to pay a relatively hefty fee for their stay at one of the hotels used for the temporary confinement.

Although the BES-Reporter was unable to directly speak to the authorities responsible for the quarantine, we understand that the complainers have in the meantime been moved to a more acceptable accommodation.

Tourism implications

While the dismay of the residents required to stay in central quarantine is one thing; the state of some hotels(rooms) on the island point to a bigger issue, namely the fact that they are not up to par with the expectations of modern day visitors. It should also be noted that some of the rooms in question normally carry a price tag of $150 dollar per night and more.

The bad state of the rooms in question is a big dilemma, because the quarantine accommodation does provide some much needed income for the hotel owners. Government is therefor on a balancing act of trying to house people at acceptable locations, and the desire to provide some income to hotels which do not receive any tourists at the moment.

450
Deel dit artikel