A woman looks inside a sleeping pod at the new Ostelzzz capsule hotel in Milan on October 28. Photo: AFP

 

National Development and Reform Commission stated Tuesday different regions should arrange work resumption in an orderly manner based on the control of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) and that China will strictly crack down on rude measures that prevent firms from resuming production. 

However, for those enterprises closely related to people’s livelihood, thus in urgent need of resuming operation and production, and with a large number of migrant workers returning from their hometown after the Spring Festival break, work resumption may not be realized with immediate effect. 

According to the commission, firms across the nation except Central China’s Hubei Province are gradually returning to work and production, especially in key areas such as medical supplies, energy, food, transportation, and logistics. 

While such enterprises related closely to the normal operation of the society and the national economy are in urgent need of work resumption, risks of the spread of NCP in metropolises like Shanghai is increasing with the influx of migrant workers. Thus, strict implementation of the 14-day self-quarantine for returning workers from key areas is particularly important in the critical stage of the fight against the NCP epidemic. However, the 14-day self-quarantine is quite an issue for many non-local employees. 

Complying with Shanghai Municipal Government’s order, many companies in Shanghai resumed operation from Monday. However, since many enterprises’ staff dormitories do not adhere to the criteria of self-isolation and some concerned property owners fearing for the safety of their apartments interdict the entry of tenants returning from other provinces to their apartments, this leaves many migrant workers returning to the city with no place to stay for quarantine. 

Meanwhile, local hotels are experiencing the winter of the industry because of the total stagnation in tourism due to the epidemic. Thus, some budget hotels have cooperated and worked together with enterprises to overcome the difficulties. 

Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel Management Co, which has over 100 hotels across the nation requisitioned as quarantine sites, has allocated nearly 300 hotels nationwide to provide accommodation for company employees in need of self-quarantine. These hotels can offer more than 24,000 hotel rooms in nearly 30 cities across the nation. As of Monday, nearly 100 companies have booked or checked in nearly 2,000 hotel rooms.

Jinjiang Inn Select Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park in Pudong New Area is one of the 81 hotels involved in the project in Shanghai. The hotel with 147 rooms has already had some of its rooms occupied by employees from some state-owned companies in the biotechnology and IT industries. 

According to Han Bo, general manager of the hotel, clients in self-quarantine are different from possible virus carriers in centralized medical observation points and different from ordinary clients. The clients of self-quarantine are allocated a designated floor where each client occupies one room. “During the 14 days, they will not step out of the room,” Han told the Global Times. 

At the moment, the hotel will provide these clients with packed nutritious balanced diet breakfasts that will be delivered at the doorstep of the clients’ rooms by  hotel staff. The clients have to arrange their lunch and dinner by themselves. “If the clients’ companies distribute their meals, the hotel staff will deliver the meals to their rooms,” Han said. 

According to Han, every room has been thoroughly disinfected before the clients moved in. Each room has been loaded with enough daily necessities and water for the clients to use and drink during the quarantine. The garbage generated by the clients will be collected by the hotel staff from the doorstep at a fixed time every day and will be disposed off with separately. 

According to the requirements of the local government and the health and epidemic prevention department, the clients will measure their temperatures twice a day. The hotel will set up WeChat groups for the clients to facilitate communication and assist with any other needs. 
Besides, the hotel’s network has been optimized to ensure that the clients' office work not influenced or delayed.