The Nigeria Hotel Association, Rivers State Chapter, said on Wednesday that it lost over N15 billion business deals since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in the state.
State chairman of the association, Mr. Eugene Nwauzi, stated this in Port Harcourt at a one-day Meeting/Training with the Rivers State Inter-ministerial Committee on Covid-19.
“We have lost over N15 billion businesses in the state in over one month, on hospitality, tourism and travels because of Covid-19.
“We have recorded very slow business; some hotels have shut down, events, bars, swimming pools, public fitness, travel agencies, all shut down. So, cumulatively when we did the analysis it’s over N15 billion,” he said.
The chairman said hoteliers were not paying taxes as the federal government had directed them not do so due to the effect of the pandemic on the economy.
“The effect of low patronage in hotels has made some hoteliers to send their staff on compulsory leave until the situation gets better because over 40 per cent of hotels in the state had shut down.
“We are the worst hit industry by this pandemic, so we started with the preventive measures about a month ago because our staffers are vulnerable, before the state government’s intervention started which is also commendable.
“The unprecedented situation requires everyone to get involved in the preventive measures, so we call on the public to join in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 in the state and the country,” he said.
He explained that the aim of the meeting was to train managers of hotels in the state on preventive measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in the state.
In his remarks, the commissioner for information and communication, Mr. Paulinus Nsirim, commended the chairman for the initiative of spreading the message of prevention of Covid-19 across all hotels in the state.
He urged those in hospitality industry to key to the agenda of the state government in the fight against the spread of the virus, saying the government would not compromise the health of Rivers people for money.
He urged all hotels to put the state government’s Covid-19 handbills on personal hygiene out for their customers and staffers to know the steps to take to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Also the head of infections prevention and control, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Juliet Sabastine, spoke on the mode of transmission of Covid-19 and preventive measures to contain the spread.
Sabastine said the transmission of the virus goes through an agent, who plays host as reservoir and transfers it from person to person.
She urged the public to regularly wash their hands with soap under running water, maintain social distance of at least two meters apart from the next person and use face masks.
It would be recalled that the state government directed a total lockdown of the state closing all its land borders with the neighnouring to checkmate the spread of the contagion.
