By SUNDAY BASSEY

The Akwa Ibom Government has disclosed nine points COVID-19 guidelines for reopening of hotels and tourism centres across the state.

Mr Orman Esin, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, made this known while addressing newsmen in Uyo on Tuesday.

He said the guidelines would help to ease the five months lockdown in the state.

Esin stressed the importance of hotels and tourism in the economy, saying that the government would not tolerate any hotel or tourist business operator violating the COVID-19 guidelines in the state.

The Commissioner said the need to reopen the state for economic activities was necessary as Akwa Ibom recorded the least number of COVID- 19 casualties.

“Let me first of all thank the state government for effective management of COVID-19 in the state.

“It is important for us to note that the time that we are living is where the COVID-19 pandemic was ravaging the world.

“It is also the responsibility of government to protect its citizens,” he said.

The commissioner, while unveiling the nine points guidelines for operators of hotels and tourist centres in the state, listed the guidelines to include hand washing, fumigation of hotels premises with recommended chemicals.

Others include social distancing, provision of isolation rooms in hotels, checking of body temperature and training of staff on handling of COVID-19 pandemic-related issues among others.

“We are not using these guidelines to generate revenue but any hotelier or tourist business operator who violates these guidelines would not be tolerated,” he warned.

Mr Ini Ememobong, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy lauded Gov. Udom Emmanuel for providing the laboratory for testing of coronavirus as certified by National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) during inspection in the state.

Ememobong represented by Mr James Edet, the Director of Information in the ministry, charged the Ministry of Information to enlighten the people including rural dwellers on how to manage the pandemic as hotels reopen for business in the state.

Mr Ini Akpabio, the Chairman Akwa Ibom Hotel Management and Tourism Board urged hoteliers to adhere strictly to the guidelines provided as monitoring team set up by government had the mandate to penalise offenders.

“It is our duty to ensure that hospitality business in the state are carried out according to World Health Organisation (WHO) standards best practices,” he said. (NAN)

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