Operation beat it! - Tourism stakeholders donate $US 1 million to fight COVID-19
Published:Tuesday | April 7, 2020 | 12:21 AMJanet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
With the coronavirus (COVID-19) showing no signs of letting up, a number of the island’s leading hotel operators have joined in the fight, with donations exceeding US$1 million, to assist with the response efforts.
The announcement was made by Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett during a digital press conference at his New Kingston offices last Thursday, where he mentioned some of the stakeholders such as the Sandals Foundation; the Issa Trust Foundation; Round Hill, through the Hanover Charities; and Chukka Caribbean Adventures, among the entities that have stepped up to the plate.
“What we all want to do is to get this (COVID-19) situation behind us as early as possible, so we are grateful for the help from our partners,” Bartlett noted.
The Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart-owned Sandals Resorts International (SRI) has offered the Government a 52-room hotel while helping to finance 40 ventilators at a cost of $20 million to be used to treat COVID-19 patients.
The hotel chain has also decided against laying off its permanent workers, opting to pay 40 per cent of their basic salary fortnightly and retaining benefits such as health insurance and paid vacation leave despite the temporary closure of all its resorts in the Caribbean.
Incubation centre
The Montego Bay-based Carlisle Inn, once called Baby Sandals, the smallest in the Sandals inventory of hotels, was mothballed for sometime before the outbreak of the coronavirus. It will be used as an incubation centre for western Jamaica.
The Issa Trust Foundation, the non-profit organisation of Couples Resorts Jamaica, has also reacted with urgency by sourcing US$238,000 (J$32 million) in equipment and supplies for the country.
This donation will include two GE Ventilators (valued at J$3 million), a new portable X-ray machine (valued at J$2 million), and a 40-ft container of supplies and equipment (valued at J$27 million).
The container donations will include a Draegar XL Ventilator, suction machines, beds, stretchers, an ultrasound machine, infusion pumps, hand sanitiser, gowns, gloves, a continuous positive airway pressure machine, an electrocardiogram machine, along with many other essential items to assist with the current crisis.
“Couples Resorts and Issa Trust Foundation are committed to working with the Ministry of Health to strengthen capacity for Jamaica’s public healthcare system,” said the foundation’s chairman, Paul Issa.
Hanover Charities, renowned for its significant efforts in community intervention in a parish once tagged ‘The Cinderella’,has also donated $4 million in goods.
In addition, Round Hill Hotel and Villas which has established a staff relief fund through its guests has garnered US$37,000. A partnership between the resort and Hanover Charities, the money will help the neediest staff, in addition to helping to bolster their salaries.
“This was marketed through the Round Hill guests and there has been an outpouring of messages and donations thus far, in four days,” Casserly told The Gleaner last Saturday morning.
She is urging other hotels to make use of their database, “With the large number of repeat guests who love our country and our people reach out them. No donation is too small”, said Casserly.