The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) is calling on Government to clarify the process involved in covering the hotel costs for those waiting longer than 72 hours on COVID-19 test results.
On Saturday, Minister of Tourism and International Transport Lisa Cummins, said Government would pay for visitors and overseas nationals whose test results are longer than the time stipulated in its COVID protocols.
However, she never said how the process would work.
BHTA chairman Geoffrey Roach said he and chief executive officer Rudy Grant were informed just prior to the press conference at which Cummins spoke and talks are continuing with Government, but members needed answers.
“Many of their guests, who have been impacted by delayed test results, have already sought to have confirmation on the settlement of their room charges. This not only applies to visitors to Barbados but equally to Barbadians who have returned to the island and have to quarantine,” Roach said in a statement.
“This crisis has been stressful in many ways and not having the ability to provide guidance to guests on this matter has only added another layer of stress for our members and their teams and so, we hope to have the process settled as quickly as possible.
“The delays have also placed a number of the smaller hotels under pressure as their guests who would have booked alternative accommodation, having anticipated to be out of quarantine based on the stated turnaround time for test results, now have to be housed for longer periods. This leads to planned arrivals not being able to be accommodated.”
In the statement, Roach said in spite of the challenges the sudden surge of COVID-19 cases caused to the health system, “we believe strongly that the ability to conduct and communicate test results in the prescribed time is the solution that is needed”. (PR/SAT)
