Costa Adeje Palace Hotel Tenerife coronavirus outbreak
I feel very sorry for the hotel guests in lock down in Costa Adeje Palace Hotel Tenerife following one guest testing positive for coronavirus.
The authorities are to be praised for acting promptly, that have taken appropriate action, the hotel has been cordoned off no one allowed in or out.
The only way we can slow if not halt the spread of coronavirus is through containment.
It is a pity we have not seen prompt action elsewhere. Slow to act, too little to late.
All flights should be suspended to destinations with confirmed cases of coronavirus, and that should now include Tenerife.
Anyone returning from Tenerife quarantined.
At the weekend Tenerife was hit by a dust storm, flights grounded, tourists sleeping on the floor of the airport. Every single one of those returning should be quarantined.
The guests I feel most sorry for are those who are on holiday with tui. Tui has a duty of care, which they fail to discharge. Guests can expect no help from tui, tui will lie, tui will fall over backwards to not pay compensation.
Several years ago I was in Tenerife, noravirus was spreading through the island like wildfire, new arrivals would go down with it, those leaving the island to spread the infection far and wide.
The hotel I was staying at everyone, guests and staff, were falling sick with noravirus.
I was one of those to fall sick. And it was not pleasant.
Luckily I was warned by a fellow guest who had fallen sick, therefore I knew what to expect, to stay in my room to stop it spreading. Not that I was in any fit state to be going anywhere.
I was also given salts by my fellow guest, which helped a lot.
Tui has a duty of care, not only did they fail to warn guests of the outbreak and advise what to do, they refused to, and even worse accused those who raised the issue of scaremongering.
At a briefing for new arrivals, no mention of noravirus. It should have been the first issue raised. Then when raised by a guest, that the hotel was badly infected with noravirus, they tried to silence the guest and accused of scaremongering. Tui blatantly lied, claimed there was no noravirus outbreak.
I had a meeting with the hotel manager. He was shocked by the response of tui. All hotels had been advised of the outbreak, tui had been advised, but they were not in turn advising guests and advising what to do if fell ill and to halt the spread.
We draw up a plan:
- guests informed hotel had noravirus infection
- guests advised of importance of personal hygiene
- guests with infection to remain in their rooms
- bed linen to be changed daily and washed twice separate from that of other guests
- the same for face flannels and towels
- public areas, entrance to hotel and restaurant, hand sanitise
- fluffy white towels to be removed from all public washrooms
Noravirus outbreak was not the only occasion of tui failing in their duty of care.
A couple of years ago, at a hotel in Tenerife, hotel was a building site.
Tui was knowingly sending guests to a building site. To date, no compensation from tui. Attitude of tui was sue us if you wish to recover your money. They repeatedly lied, as they did during the noravirus outbreak.
The failure of local environmental health officers is a cause for concern.
I have recently observed:
- Toby Carvery Lincoln bar girl sneezed twice into her hands then handed over two glasses of water
- a recently opened upmarket fish n chip shop waitress sneezed into her hands wiped on tea towel then used to wipe glasses and cutlery
- village pub no soap in the toilets
- toilets on trains no soap or running water
Crass comments by Health Secretary Matt Hancock no need to suspend flights to China because Italy did and they have coronavirus. Italy has no idea how the area in lock down became infected, have been unable to find Patient Zero.
Italy has suspended public gatherings.
UK should suspend public gatherings. People should be encouraged wherever possible to work from home.
The only way we can slow the spread of coronavirus is by containment.
There are now more cases of coronavirus outside of China than within. The number of countries added to the list growing daily. One of the latest to be added is Greece.
The problem travellers have is the failure of FCO to issue advice not to travel to infected countries. Without they cannot cancel a trip and not incur financial penalty.
Tenerife has acted promptly, and cordoned off the hotel. Once released after 14 days, tourists should then go into quarantine on return to UK cf those from Diamond Princess plague ship.
We should be worried those who returned before the hotel went into lock down. Where did the two who carried coronavirus from Italy visit? Bars, shops, restaurants, coffee shops?
Tui has been asked which flights had passengers from the Costa Adeje Palace Hotel Tenerife? They have refused to answer using data protection as excuse. It does not apply. Details are not being asked of individual guests, only did any guest board flights, and if yes which flights?
Tui have also been asked: When all guests have left the hotel, when staff have left, will the hotel be deep cleaned, towels and bed linen incinerated, pools drained and cleaned. sunbeds cleaned? Tui have again refused to answer.
This is the problem tui clients are experiencing with tui, no support, lack of information, refusal to answer questions.
