THE Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) expanded its definition of hotels allowed to resume operations but continued to limit their clientele to precious bookings, stranded persons, overseas workers observing quarantine, and health care workers.
In a briefing on Thursday, the President’s Spokesman Herminio L. Roque said the IATF-EID’s Resolution No. 43 clarified a previous order restricting the operations of “accommodation establishments.”
“Inaprubahan ang rekomendasyon ng IATF na baguhin ang depinisyon ng hotel at payagan na rin mag-operate ang mga sumusunod (The IATF approved the recommendation to change the definition of hotels and also allowed them to operate),” he said.
The new definition of accommodation establishments includes hotels, resorts, apartment hotels, tourist inns, motels, pension houses, private homes, ecolodges, serviced apartments, condotels, and bed and breakfast facilities.
The earlier Omnibus Guidelines still apply, restricting their ability to take in guests. The exceptions include guests who were booked as of March 17 in Luzon and bookings as of May 1 for others areas; guests with long-term bookings; distressed and stranded overseas and foreign workers; repatriated overseas workers; those required to undergo mandatory quarantine; and health care workers and other workers from exempted sectors.
IATF-EID Resolution No. 43 also indicated that hotels will only be allowed to operate if they have a Certificate of Authority to operate from the Department of Tourism.
Such establishments will still be restricted in their staffing levels, maintaining personnel sufficient only to service basic accommodations. Ancillary services remain prohibited while food service will be limited to take-out and delivery. — Gillian M. Cortez
