Dimitris Biangis:"Thank you, Mr.Theoharis for ΄saving΄ us..."

Corfu KINAL MP Dimitris Biangis hit out at the Minister of Tourism Haris Theoharis personally following Tuesday's announcement of the Joint Ministerial Decision regarding isolation rooms at hotels.

Mr. Biangis warned of risks to the health of workers in the tourist and hotel sector from the Ministry's plan, which is sloppy and well short of what is required and will create a feeling of insecurity amongst those involved in the tourist sector.

The statement from Dimitris Biangis:

"We are approximately one week away from the 'opening' of the tourist season and the Tourism Ministry is not taking the proper steps to ensure the proper handling of possible cases amongst visitors to prevent the spread of the virus in the community.

With delayed and insufficient planning, with proposals that are well short of what is required, half-baked measures have been announced that create a feeling of insecurity amongst those involved in the tourist sector.

First of all, the Ministry is asking for properties in all the regions that wish to become isolation hotels and is offering them the sum of 10 Euros per empty room and 30 Euros per occupied room when it knows that these figures are out of line with reality - in Cyprus the corresponding sum being offered is 65 Euros. Not only that, but the sum includes not just the accommodation but also meals, personal protection equipment and VAT - making it inexpedient for any property implementing the new health and hygiene protocols.

It can be taken for granted that any suitable and available hotel units are not going to express interest. And even if they do, they won't have the high standards required to accommodate visitors that are infected so that they leave the country with the best possible impression.

With this kind of thinking the country's tourist product could suffer irreparable damage and all the collective effort put in up to now will be undone. The Ministry must know that with the kind of sums being offered they'll find neither hotels nor workers willing to work there - putting their lives and their families' lives at risk. The Ministry's thinking is beyond hypocritical and is insulting to those involved in tourism, treating them like 'natives'.

Recognising that it was getting nowhere, the Ministry extended the deadline for hotels to apply and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that there will be requisitioning of hotels - even now they don't recognise their mishandling of the situation. Finding themselves at an impasse with this ridiculous planning, Hotelier Associations from Santorini to Crete have been taking it into their own hands to find suitable properties and to fund them - trying to find the optimum solution for the tourist product and the workers in the sector.

On top of all this comes yesterday's Joint Ministerial Decision from the Finace, Tourism and Health Ministries to create isolation rooms to accommodate confirmed COVID-19 cases. A solution that wil (supposedly) complement the creation of a network of non-existent quarantine hotels. So they are now obliging tourist businesses to make isolation rooms available.

This decision not only hits businesses that will start operating hard, but also puts all the workers there at risk and will essentially kill off the hopes and dreams of those involved to at least get something out of this year's half-season.

Right from the beginning we have pointed out the problem and have recommended that our local community should take the initiative as we could see the dead end that exists and share the concerns of those involved in the sector.

Now, without a referral hotel and with COVID-19 rooms all over Corfu, we are being called upon to safe whatever we can from the lost summer season whilst putting businesses and thousands of workers' lives at risk. Thank you Mr. Minister for 'saving' us..."