Quarantined crew moved to new facility
SAANTHA Naidu, the chief executive of Coastlands Hotels and Resorts, has confirmed that 160 crew from a Carnival cruise liner, who were quarantined in the hotel in Durban, have been moved.
The group, all South Africans, arrived at the Coastlands Hotel, in Dr Pixley KaSeme Street, near the beachfront, last Wednesday night.
They soon took to Facebook to complain that their rooms were too dirty to sleep in, making reference to dead cockroaches and torn mattresses.
They also complained about broken doors and windows.
During their 80 days on the cruise liner, the crew said they were tested twice a day and once when they entered the hotel.
When AfriForum and the DA heard about their plight, both bodies rallied to offer assistance.
The DA’s Tim Brauteseth and Martin Meyer visited them on Thursday and contacted Patricia de Lille, the Minister for Public Works, to intervene.
Brauteseth said when the group was dropped off at the hotel, the staff were not prepared for their arrival.
“The group was placed in rooms that were filthy, replete with dead pigeons and cockroaches galore.
“The facilities in most of the rooms are broken and rusted, and there are no cleaning materials.
“The hotel has an overwhelming smell of mould, which is affecting many of the group’s health. Many of the group opted to sleep in the lobby rather than the rooms.”
Naidu, however, felt the claims were exaggerated and said he took pride in ensuring his hotels were of an optimum standard.
“The Department of Health did not have a problem with the facility when it was chosen as a quarantine site,” said Naidu.
He said there were others who were in quarantine at the hotel who did not have complaints.
Naidu said it must be understood that the hotels were closed due to the lockdown and were only opened once the department decided to use them as quarantine facilities.
“I haven’t been to the hotel for some time, so I haven’t been able to verify the complaints for myself. It, however, must be noted that the hotel was closed for some time and then sprayed and sanitised prior to opening. I do think there could have been one or two cockroaches.
“I have asked my entire team, including my directors, to conduct a thorough investigation and report back to me.”
Naidu confirmed the crew were moved to the Coastlands Hotel in uMhlanga after he was made aware of the complaints.
“It cost me a small fortune to put them there but they seem content and I have only heard positive reviews. They will be there for a week until they return to their families.”
One crew member wrote on Facebook: “We all got here about 12:30am-ish, and YES! We’re finally comfortable.
“With a little teamwork, a lot of calls, emails and msgs we got the job done. So it all worked out in the end.
“Now we’re all living the high life in uMhlanga.”
This was not the first time one of the state-selected quarantine sites were the subject of complaints.
A Metcourt Hotel, at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, was accused of not being halaal-friendly for repatriated Muslim South Africans who arrived from Pakistan.
The group was allegedly served bacon during breakfast. The situation has since been rectified.
Last Thursday, AfriForum issued urgent court documents to request, among other things, that people returning from abroad should have the right to self-isolate. This procedure is currently standard practice in most countries.
The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria subsequently ruled to allow for self-isolation at home, changing the National Disaster Act regulations regarding compulsory quarantine at state facilities for confirmed Covid-19 patients or for those who have been in contact with someone who has contracted the virus.