Test workers, luxury hotels told as new cluster emerges

Chennai

According to a Corporation official, there are about 20 luxury hotels in the city and their managements have been asked to give samples at fever camps or the urban primary health centres in their locality. On Saturday, 12 positive cases of COVID-19 were reported from another luxury hotel in MRC Nagar in the city.

Meanwhile, all the employees and staff of the Guindy Hotel where more than 85 tested positive for COVID-19 are being tested and all the functions scheduled there cancelled up to January 10. The infection was first reported in a chef on December 15 and further contact tracing led to the cluster.

After the recent cluster at IIT Madras, the State health department officials have identified the cluster at the luxury hotel in the city. The officials from the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine said more than 600 people, including staff and guests, have been tested and those positive are being isolated and treated. However, there are no cases of critical patients in the specific cluster.

Even as the hotel managements stated that they are following the standard operating procedure (SOP) in all the departments, the State health department officials warned the hotels of action if they do not follow the safety measures during functions there.