85 Staffers, Guests at Chennai Luxury Hotel Test COVID Positive

Image used for representation purpose.

(Photo: PTI)

A new COVID-19 cluster has been found in Chennai after 85 people – including employees and guests – tested positive for the virus at ITC Grand Chola Hotel in Guindy.

The Greater Chennai Municipal Corporation has ordered the hotel to not have banquets, events and gatherings for the next 15 days, as well as to get saturation testing done for all the residents, employees and guests of the hotel. Earlier last month, a cluster had been found at IIT-Madras.

The first coronavirus positive case was a staff at the hotel, whose results came on 15 December 2020. Soon, tests were conducted at various camps with samples of 605 people of which 85 people have emerged positive.

The Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Radhakrishnan, confirming the numbers, told reporters, “In a star hotel, a cluster was reported which started from a chef and spread to more people. We set up camps and took the tests from places including residence of the staff members.”

"Of the 605 samples, 85 people have tested positive for coronavirus. Most of them had mild symptoms and some of them have returned home following treatment,” he said.

All the people who tested positive have been kept under quarantine.

As of Friday, 1 January, Tamil Nadu reported a total of 921 cases of COVID-19 taking the total number of cases in the city to 8,380. Tamil Nadu also has 24 primary cases of UK returnees and 20 contact positive cases.

Over 1,000 people were also discharged from the hospitals on Friday. Chennai recorded 252 positive cases followed by Coimbatore with 82 cases and Chengalpattu with 54 cases.

Nearly 13 people succumbed due to coronavirus.

When TNM reached out to ITC Grand Chola, it said:

“The health and safety of our guests and associates is of paramount importance. The property has been practicing the necessary SOPs laid down by the authorities, along with its own accredited stringent sanitation and hygiene protocol. From social distancing at public areas to rigorous kitchen hygiene, and regular health checks of associates, all safety and preventive measures are being meticulously followed.”

“Every member of the team is trained and sensitized on following the prescribed prevention of COVID-19 protocols, in interest of their safety and that of guests. While the GCC has classified some associates as asymptomatic and mild, the majority of our associates are working from home and have been absent from the property and so have no contact with other associates and guests.”

(This story has been published in an arrangement with The News Minute)