Philadelphia Four Seasons Hotel Says No Quarantine Yet Following Guest’s Positive COVID-19 Test

Philadelphia’s Four Seasons Hotel confirmed Tuesday that a guest who was at the hotel from March 9 to 11 has tested positive of the novel coronavirus. The hotel said it has undergone deep-cleaning and disinfection.

According to CBS affiliate KYW-TV, Four Seasons clarified that the said guest is no longer at the hotel and has been transferred to the care of appropriate health providers.

As part of the efforts to prevent spreading in the hotel, proper sanitization and extensive cleaning measures were carried out. The hotel went on to state that it already practices stringent food handling and cleaning measures.

Four Seasons clarified it has informed all of the guests and staff who may have come in contact with the person who tested positive of the novel virus.

Despite one guest getting infected with the COVID-19 strain, the hotel said it will not undergo quarantine at this time since the local health department did not require it after it was informed about the said case.

News of the Four Seasons Hotel’s COVID-19 guest confirmation came days after the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association’s executive director Ed Grose revealed that there has been a significant drop in hotel occupancy numbers over the past few weeks due to the coronavirus crisis.

The increasing number of people choosing to stay home, plus the heightened travel restrictions not just in the United States but also around the world has largely affected the city’s hospitality industry.

Grose said before the COVID-19 crisis kicked off, occupancy numbers in Philadelphia hotels were between 85 and 90 percent, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. However, some hotels in the city reported that numbers have been down by as much 10 percent.

Hotels that are mostly affected by the drop in occupancy levels are those that do not host large-scale meetings or gatherings. Still, some hotels that do offer convention-style gatherings have also seen their figures plummet to 35 percent.

Meanwhile, the White House is expected to come up with legislation that will provide businesses in the airline, cruises, and hospitality industries to receive financial assistance amid the country’s COVID-19 battle.

According to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, the next round of bills to be passed will be dedicated to the hotel, carrier, airline, and cruise line segments, USA Today reported.

The upcoming bills are expected to have similar regulations to those stated in the bill passed by the House over the weekend that provides employees with free COVID-19 testing capacity and paid sick leave.