(Trinidad Guardian) The management of the Marriott Hotel at Invaders Bay, Port-of-Spain, has denied rumours that the establishment is being used as a ‘quarantine hotel’.
The Marriott’s Area Director, Public Relations for Central America and North South America, Zasha Perez Gallardo responded to emailed queries yesterday stating, “Please note that it is not correct that the hotel is a quarantine hotel.”
In response to questions about whether or not any of the hotel guests were ill and had been receiving medical treatment, she wrote, “As a matter of privacy we cannot comment on guests or groups at the hotel.”
Gallardo’s response did not originate in the email thread which had been initially directed to the Marriott’s General Manager Nicol Khelawan, but followed an email which had been sent to the Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram and copied to the Ministry of Health’s Corporate Communications Manager, Candice Alcantara.
On Saturday, rumours began circulating that over 250 persons from the affluent sector of society referred to as the “one-percenters” had attended a private function down the islands and that a few of them had since been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus.
Although health officials had on Saturday indicated they were aware of the claims, Parasram denied the Health Ministry knew of any such party.
Among the allegations was that scores of people who had reportedly attended the alleged party were rushed to a private lab to be tested.
However, Parasram said the owners/operators of all private labs were mandated to send all the COVID-19 results to his office or face sanctions.
On Sunday, a picture appeared on social media in which a long line of cars was seen outside a private medical facility in Woodbrook, with the caption claiming some of the party-goers had gone to be tested for the virus.
