Heraklion MP Dr. Nikos Igoumenidis has taken issue with a new policy that will force hospitality providers to become hospitals. According to a letter from Igoumenidis, a rule demanding so-called “isolation rooms” be provided by hotels is a “crime against the tourism product in Crete.”
At the heart of Dr. Igoumenidis’ argument is a rule by the Ministers of Economy, Health and Tourism, which stipulates that the tourist accommodation itself and the hotel units themselves will create “isolation rooms” hosting corona cases for guests diagnosed with the virus.
According to the Heraklion legislator, the decision is not only illegal because of the danger to local populations, but because visitors may not get the necessary care. Igoumenidis says the decision does not take into account the parameters for the management of cases and the necessary safety rules.
Igoumenidi goes on to say the ruling “obliges all accommodation without exception to manage a case within the accommodation itself without any prior preparation.” Or in other words, “without training and without the required strict supervision required by a case to avoid its dispersion throughout the island.”
The cardiologist from Heraklion says the decision shits responsibility for safety from the government and other officials to the people in the industry usually tasked with hospitality and normal safety regulations. He goes on to say:
“Unfortunately, the sloppiness and lack of a comprehensive plan oblige the Government to make such decisions that are dangerous for the tourist product, even in one of the most touristic areas of the country, such as Crete.”
News this week also tells of some 20,000 hospitality and catering workers on Crete receiving training classes for the new COVID-19 protocols. Room cleaners to servers to taxi drivers, the government of Greece has engaged with independent companies to provide training in general safety protocols.