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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION
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Stay Safe Hotels adopt pandemic protocols to keep travelers healthy By Julia Thompson
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S TRAVELERS SLOWLY BEGIN
to get back on the road and in the air amid the coronavirus pandemic, they may be wondering if it’s safe to stay in a hotel. Hotels have rolled out a slew of cleaning and safety programs, and in July, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the industry’s major trade group, released a checklist for guests who plan to stay in hotels.
“Utilizing these best practices, including requiring face coverings and practicing social distancing in public spaces, will create an even safer environment for all our guests and employees,” Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA, said in a statement. Dr. Keith Armitage, medical director of the University Hospitals Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine & Global Health in Cleveland, commends hotels’ efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19. “A lot of hotels are really taking steps to mitigate risk — having online check-in,
cleaning the rooms, keeping people out of the lobby — but again, it’s indoors with strangers,” he says. “If you’re walking through a hotel lobby, you want to have a mask on.” Some hotels require that masks are worn and provide them to guests who need them. Another thing to consider in public spaces: Armitage suggests not eating in a breakfast buffet area. “Take a mask, get your food and eat it in your room.” Once you get to your room, be aware of high-touch surfaces.
