Breeze View Hotel in Mpeketoni, Lamu County, has been closed indefinitely after the owner and four employees tested positive for coronavirus.
According to Lamu County Health Executive Anne Gathoni, the four staff members were put in quarantine.
The owner of the hotel John Wanyoike Kiuna, who has been in the ICU at Aga Khan Hospital in Mombasa for the last two weeks confirmed the infections.
Kiuna expressed worries in regards to the hotel’s maintenance, pleading with the Ministry of Health and the county government to aid reopen the facility.
“My hotel is closed. I am also away and recuperating well after being in ICU for weeks. I appeal to the government and well-wishers to intervene and assist us to reopen the hotel as soon as possible. We’re already facing challenges in sorting out the electricity and water bills since we have no clients,” he said.
Mr Kiuna said the incident has tainted the hotel’s image and customers may avoid visiting after it reopens.
He asked the Lamu County Health Department to intervene and help them with fumigation before the hotel reopens, possibly by next week.
“Things are tough but we’re waiting for health officials to help us in fumigating the hotel premises before resuming services. We can’t do it on our own,” he said.
“We are financially unstable. We can’t even afford to pay salaries for our staff in quarantine as the hotel is not functioning at the moment.”
According to Breeze View acting manager Mburu Kiuna, the hotel might reopen when its staff come out of quarantine.
By Everlyne Bosibori
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