Why have paid quarantine facilities in Vizag been failing to attract foreign returnees?

Over the past few days, Andhra Pradesh has been welcoming natives, who were stuck abroad, through Mission Vande Bharat. Flights that arrived from Abu Dhabi, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, and Doha collectively had almost 500 passengers who belong to the Vizag district. However, only a few passengers have been opting for the paid quarantine facilities set up in hotels.

Earlier, the government had notified that the quarantine facilities are divided into two categories- free centres run by the government and paid quarantine at hotels. The paid quarantine facilities at hotels are further divided into three tiers- luxury hotels (ranging from Rs. 3,000 and more per day), moderate hotels (ranging from Rs.2,000 to Rs.3,000 per day) and budget hotels (ranging from Rs.1,600 to Rs. 2,000 per day).

“Only ten per cent of the passengers who have landed in Visakhapatnam have opted for the paid quarantine facilities and the demand is very less. The 3-star hotels for 14 days are budgeted at 28,000 Rs and the 4-star and 5-star hotels are budgeted at Rs 35,000. This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all 14 days,” said Pavan Kartheek MV, Vice-President of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Andhra Pradesh (HRAAP).

“Since most people are unsure of their work status or when they will return to work, their economic condition might be a reason as to why only a few people are opting for the paid quarantine facilities,” said the General Manager of a 3-star hotel in Visakhapatnam. Coming to the precautions being followed, he states that all safety measures and protocols are being strictly followed to quarantine individuals for 14 days. “The staff is extremely precautious and we regularly sanitise all the rooms and floors. The staff and security are mandatorily asked to wear face masks and hand gloves. We also sanitise ourselves at regular intervals and keep minimal contact with the quarantined individuals,” he added.

Elaborating on the measures being followed at paid quarantine facilities, Mr Kartheek says, “The quarantined individuals are in no case allowed to come out of the room and the hotel staff is also strictly advised against entering the rooms. The food services for the individuals are only allowed until the doorstep of their respective rooms.” He further added that doctors check up on these individuals regularly and are available on call if any symptoms show up. So far, none of the quarantined individuals have reported any symptoms.