Hemas offers Club Hotel Dolphin as quarantine centre

Hemas Holdings Plc has offered Club Hotel Dolphin in Negombo as a quarantine centre to the Government if the need arises, as part of wider public-private sector efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The company has communicated the offer to National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) headed by Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva and is awaiting a response.

Club Hotel Dolphin is a 4-star property with 154 rooms situated in Waikkal. It is owned by Serendib Hotels Plc, which is part of Hemas Holdings Plc.

It is the second company to offer one of its hotels to be a temporary quarantine centre. Citrus Leisure has also offered its 150-room resort in Waskaduwa for the same purpose.

The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) said its members had agreed to offer their facilities to house those who are subject to two weeks of quarantine at remote locations as well as medical staff who are unable to get home after work.

As of Friday 72 persons had been confirmed with new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Sri Lanka and there were 245 persons suspected of infection in hospitals.

Additionally there are 2,738 persons undergoing quarantine in dedicated 17 centres and 30 of them are foreigners. Several thousands who had returned from overseas are also engaged in self-quarantine in their homes as per the Government directive.