COVID-19 positivity rate among Chennai hotel staff less than 3 percent, says top official

CHENNAI: Of the total 6,416 hotel employees tested for COVID-19 after clusters emerged at ITC Grand Chola and Hotel Leela Palace, 125 have tested positive so far, according to Chennai Corporation data. Of the 125, 114 staff are from star category hotels.

The results for 491 samples were awaited, according to a release by the city corporation. A total of 2226 staff were tested from star category hotels and 4190 from others.

"All hotels and resorts are adopting the saturation approach (where everyone is tested for COVID-19). There is less than 3% positivity and things are very much under control," Corporation Commissioner G Prakash told reporters on Monday.

After ITC Grand Chola, Leela Palace in MRC Nagar has become a COVID-19 hotspot with 20 employees of the hotel testing positive.

Confirming the numbers, a Chennai Corporation official said, "A total of 326 samples were tested, of which 20 came out positive. All events have been suspended at the hotel for a week and disinfection work was carried out. All employees and other contacts have been quarantined."

"All the 20 are employees of the hotel including chefs, securitymen and laundry staff. The first case was detected on December 31," said the corporation official.