Hong Kong secures 20,000 hotel rooms to isolate Covid-19 patients and close contacts, with 1,000 retired officers from disciplined services to manage sites
- New World Development has offered 700 rooms at its Pentahotel Hong Kong in Kowloon, while Sun Hung Kai Properties will provide 1,000 rooms from two hotels
- Preferred sites are those already providing quarantine for travellers, far from densely populated neighbourhoods, not attached to shopping malls
The Post learned on Thursday that the rooms would be designated for people deemed close contacts of coronavirus patients, and infected individuals with mild symptoms.
The first batch of hotels, set to provide 4,400 rooms within the week, include the Dorsett Tsuen Wan Hotel Hong Kong, iclub Ma Tau Wai Hotel and Fortress Hill hotels, as well as the Regal Oriental Hotel in Kowloon City. The Dorsett hotel will begin operations on Friday, with Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung to inspect the facility on Thursday.
Tourism sector lawmaker Yiu Pak-leung said the government was looking for at least 10,000 to 15,000 hotel rooms.
New World Development has offered 700 rooms at its Pentahotel Hong Kong in Kowloon as a community isolation facility.
“The hotel will actively discuss relevant arrangements with government departments,” the group said in a statement, adding it would “evaluate the feasibility of the hotel’s facilities” and supporting features “as soon as possible”.
