COVID-19 screening | Delhi, Mumbai to house global travelers at premium hotels on pay and stay basis

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The governments of Delhi and Maharashtra have joined hands with premium hotel properties near the international airport terminals to make rooms available for travellers who are asymptomatic but are being isolated as a precaution for COVID-19.

Ibis, RedFox and Lemon Tree situated at the Aerocity in Delhi and ITC Maratha and Mirage Hotel located in Mumbai will be used for this purpose, informed senior government functionaries. Asymptomatic travellers are those who present no symptoms of the illness.

“We are making an arrangement under which the quarantine facility will be provided in three hotels. People who want to pay and stay in these hotels will be able to stay," a tweet from the Aam Aadmi Party said quoting Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The Delhi government reached out to all the 17 hotels located inside the Aerocity complex, close to the international terminal of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi on March 15. The authorities proposed to block about 30-50 rooms in each hotel for the screening. So far, three properties have shown interest and more are expected to follow, as per industry sources.

About 100 rooms between Lemon Tree and RedFox have been blocked as per letter sent by the Delhi government. The guests will be charged Rs 3,100 plus tax per night. An average of 14 days stay is expected to be met by the guests. Room rates will be fixed and there will be no subsidized room rates for the guests sponsored by the Delhi government.

When contacted a spokesperson from Lemon Tree Hotels said, “Our company has been called upon by the Delhi government, under The Disaster Management Act, 2005, to make rooms available at its hotel in Aerocity (Red Fox Hotel) to be used for travellers who are asymptomatic and are being isolated as a precaution.”

“RedFox Hotel, Delhi Airport has defined a special operations process to service the rooms of these guests, in agreement with the Delhi government, to ensure the safety and health of these guests, of our employees and of other hotel guests as well. We will continue to work in accordance with the requirements defined by the government, at this time of national need,” the spokesperson added.

In Mumbai, two hotels have been chosen for a similar purpose though the state government has not defined any fixed price for the rooms.

Aditya Thackeray, Minister of Tourism and Environment, Government of Maharashtra tweeted, “Thank you Mirage Hotel, Mumbai and ITC Hotel, Mumbai for opening up your doors to incoming travellers that will be compulsorily isolated for 24 hours on arrival in Mumbai as requested by BMC."

While Mirage can be classified as a mid-budget hotel, based on the room rates,  with an average daily price of Rs 4,500,  the ITC Maratha is a luxury hotel with starting prices of around Rs 10,000.

“After Seven Hills Hospital, BMC now activates Mirage Hotels (near Airport) to turn it into quarantine facility for travellers coming from abroad and choosing to pay for it,” said a tweet from the BMC.