Luxury hotels are no more a safe haven in Chennai as another star hotel in MRC Nagar became COVID cluster as 20 employees tested positive for COVID-19.

This was identified after the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) had ordered for a COVID-19 testing drive among all hotel industry professionals on Saturday. Twenty resident employees of this Chennai's hotel were tested positive for COVID-19 in the test, on Monday. The saturation test was ordered by State Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan after a luxury hotel in Mount road was identified as a covid cluster with nearly 85 cases two days ago.

The hotel has been immediately ordered to suspend all its scheduled events and gatherings as it is a prominent spot for high profile business and political meetings in the city.

Earlier, on Saturday, Radhakrishnan had said hotels are periodically screened and have been sensitised. They were also told to strictly adhere to the government guidelines on precautions. "The Chennai Corporation was asked to conduct a saturation test for all the residents of the hotel," he told reporters when his attention was drawn to the new emerging cluster at a hotel in Mount Road, close on the heels of 200 students of IIT Madras testing positive for COVID-19 in December last.