Various hotels receive deadline for all staff to be vaccinated

by Linda Straker

• Hotel quarantine sites can have their permission revoked if 100% of employees fail to become vaccinated
• Since May, tourism and health officials have been informed about Government’s policy for all staff to be vaccinated
• Guests are requesting to know vaccine status of staff whom they will interact with

Hotels in Grenada that are approved as quarantine sites can have their permission revoked if 100% of employees fail to become vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine that is currently available on island.

Health Minister Nickolas Steele confirmed on Wednesday that a number of hotels recently received letters informing them about the need for all their staff to become vaccinated as part of the protection measures for the country and incoming guests.

Government’s policy that all employees at quarantine sites must be vaccinated was announced officially in the Parliament on Wednesday, 7 July 2021. The same day, a letter sent to the manager of an international branded hotel from the Acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO) was posted on the social media platform Facebook.

Signed by Acting CMO Dr Shawn Charles the letter dated 6 July 2021 gave the property 10 days for all staff to be vaccinated. Persons in the hospitality industry have confirmed that since May, tourism and health officials have informed them about Government’s policy for all staff to be vaccinated.

“Those properties which fail to have 100% vaccinated employees will lose their permission as a quarantine facility, we were told by the tourism officials and most hotels are approved quarantine facilities,” the senior management official said.

Research revealed that recently a few hotels were advertising for staff and that was to ensure that if existing staff resigned or remained at home, hotels operations would not be affected.

“And now we have a situation where those who are applying for jobs are fully vaccinated giving them an upper edge over existing staff who are failing to not become vaccinated,” another hotel manager said.

A hotel owner said that guests who are booking through travel agents are requesting to know the vaccine status of staff whom they will interact with, to ensure that they are not exposed to the virus while residing in a hotel or other hospitality accommodations.