Kitchen at Rex Turtle Beach Hotel temporarily closed
Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:15 am
It was reported in the news today that the Kitchen at the Rex Turtle Beach Hotel has been closed for a week to sanitise the kitchen following reports of 60 guests being affected b the Norwalk Virus, which causes some vomiting and diahhhoea, but is rarely dangerous or life-threatening.
Here is what one of the news reports says:
"Hotel kitchen shut down
Elizabeth W Allard Tobago Bureau
Wednesday, February 7th 2007
The management of the Turtle Beach Hotel yesterday shut down its kitchen, in compliance with a directive from County Medical Officer of Health Dr Mentor Melville. Melville had ordered the closure and sanitation of the kitchen and some part of the hotel last week, after tests picked up the Norwalk Virus in stool samples taken from European guests who recently fell ill over a period of days from January 31 at the hotel. Yesterday, Dr Melville confirmed the hotel's manager, Leslie Amadee, had closed the kitchen and started the sanitisation process yesterday.
Dr Melville said the sanitising process at the hotel would be closely monitored, adding he also recommended that the entire kitchen and all its facilities be totally redone."
In previous news reports it was reported that the sanitisation process would have taken a week. There has been no report that the hotel itself is closed - only the kitchen.
In case you are booked into the RTB over the next few weeks, you should check with your booking or tour agent or directly with the hotel to see how you might be affected. This is especially important since the RTB normally operates on an all-inclusive basis ie with all meals provided, and this will of course be difficult with the kitchen closed! Once the sanitisation process is completed and the hotel kitchen is declared safe by the medical authorities you should not be concerned about this outbreak.
An operator in the hotel and tourism business told me that occasional attacks of the Norwalk Virus are not uncommon in the hotel and tourism business. He referred to the incidences of the virus on the Florida-based cruise ships in the last six months alone - which include some of the best managed and largest cruise ships in the world - January 2007 300 affected on the Queen Elizabeth 2, December 2006 400 affected on the Freedom of the Seas (the largest ship at sea), November 2006 700 affected on the Carnival Liberty, and July 2006 200 were affected on the Mariner of the Seas.
Clyde
Here is what one of the news reports says:
"Hotel kitchen shut down
Elizabeth W Allard Tobago Bureau
Wednesday, February 7th 2007
The management of the Turtle Beach Hotel yesterday shut down its kitchen, in compliance with a directive from County Medical Officer of Health Dr Mentor Melville. Melville had ordered the closure and sanitation of the kitchen and some part of the hotel last week, after tests picked up the Norwalk Virus in stool samples taken from European guests who recently fell ill over a period of days from January 31 at the hotel. Yesterday, Dr Melville confirmed the hotel's manager, Leslie Amadee, had closed the kitchen and started the sanitisation process yesterday.
Dr Melville said the sanitising process at the hotel would be closely monitored, adding he also recommended that the entire kitchen and all its facilities be totally redone."
In previous news reports it was reported that the sanitisation process would have taken a week. There has been no report that the hotel itself is closed - only the kitchen.
In case you are booked into the RTB over the next few weeks, you should check with your booking or tour agent or directly with the hotel to see how you might be affected. This is especially important since the RTB normally operates on an all-inclusive basis ie with all meals provided, and this will of course be difficult with the kitchen closed! Once the sanitisation process is completed and the hotel kitchen is declared safe by the medical authorities you should not be concerned about this outbreak.
An operator in the hotel and tourism business told me that occasional attacks of the Norwalk Virus are not uncommon in the hotel and tourism business. He referred to the incidences of the virus on the Florida-based cruise ships in the last six months alone - which include some of the best managed and largest cruise ships in the world - January 2007 300 affected on the Queen Elizabeth 2, December 2006 400 affected on the Freedom of the Seas (the largest ship at sea), November 2006 700 affected on the Carnival Liberty, and July 2006 200 were affected on the Mariner of the Seas.
Clyde