Coronavirus: Hong Kong hotel employees offered salary boost to operate isolation facilities for Covid-19 patients
- Some hotels are preparing for the city’s universal testing measures, with some staff being offered double their wages to work front-of-house at isolation facilities
- Government-run public facilities are recruiting housekeeping assistant, with Security Bureau offering monthly salary of HK$31,000
Hotel employees in Hong Kong have been offered a salary boost to join front-of-house operations at venues being used to quarantine coronavirus patients, while more than 200 travel sector workers have applied for positions at government-run isolation facilities.
In response to the surge in Covid-19 cases, local authorities have secured 20,000 hotel rooms to act as quarantine units and hired at least 1,000 retired officers from the disciplined services to manage sites under the community isolation facility scheme.
Other measures included the construction of makeshift isolation facilities across Hong Kong.
With sources having informed the Post that universal compulsory testing for the coronavirus could begin on March 26 and last for nine days, some hotels have already begun to make preparations.
The Cordis Hong Kong in Mong Kok, which has about 660 rooms, said on Wednesday that it would be closed to the public from March 14 to June 13 to participate in the community isolation facility scheme.
“As always, our highest priority is our duty of care to our guests’ and colleagues’ health, safety and well-being. Rest assured, enhanced and rigorous protocols are in place to protect the communities we serve,” it said in a social media post.
