Hotels sealed as workers test corona positive in Mansehra

MANSEHRA: Kaghan Development Authority has sealed three hotels and two restaurants in Naran following the employees of those entities tested positive for coronavirus.

“We have been taking swabs of hotels’ employees in Kaghan valley to test them for the Covid-19 and so far many employees have tested positive,” Mazhar Hussain Shah, the deputy director of KDA, told reporters here on Saturday. He said that authority has started testing hotels and restaurants’ employees for the Covid-19 at tourist resorts of Shogran and Naran as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government wanted strict implementation of standard operational procedures (SOPs) meant to contain the pandemic. The deputy director said that many hotels and restaurants were also fined for not adopting the SOPs and many others were issued warnings.

“We have fined many restaurants and hotels for not adopting the precautionary measures and planning to fine tourists not wearing the masks at the picnic spots,” said Shah. He said that an influx of tourists at the recreational spots of Shogran, Lake Saiful Muluk, Babusar Top and other points is being monitored and they were being sensitised to wear masks and adopt the SOPs. Shah said that Covid-19 swabs were being tested with the help of the health department and the district and Balakot tehsil administrations.

Meanwhile, the hotels association president in Kaghan valley Saith Matiullah told reporters that hoteliers were strictly adopting the SOPs set by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for the Covid-19.