DOT: Makati hotel’s explanation on quarantine breach due on Monday

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MANILA, Philippines — A hotel in Makati City tagged in a recent COVID-19 quarantine breach where a Filipina who arrived from the United States was able to skip isolation to attend a party is expected to provide its explanation on the incident on Monday, January 3, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.

Romulo-Puyat was referring to Berjaya Hotel which has apologized for “failing to stop” the Filipina from leaving before the end of her required quarantine period.

“Nagbigay kami ng notice to explain sa nasabing hotel at we’re expecting it siguro by today ‘yung kanilang explanation dito,” Romulo-Puyat said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

(We gave the hotel a notice to explain and we’re expecting their explanation by today.)

“We’re waiting for the explanation of the hotel. Nakita namin nung nag-apologize na ‘yung hotel pero hinihintay namin ‘yung formal explanation,” she added.

(We’re waiting for the explanation of the hotel. We saw that they already apologized but we’re still waiting for their formal explanation.)

Romulo-Puyat earlier bared that a Filipina who returned from the United States, and “boasted of having connections,” skipped being quarantined in a hotel and then went to attend a party in Makati City.

Based on initial information, Romulo-Puyat said the hotel was paid to allow the Filipina to skip quarantine.

The Filipina later tested positive for COVID-19.

In its apology on January 1, the management of Berjaya Hotel earlier said the recent quarantine breach was the “only incident of its kind in the nearly two years that we have served as a quarantine hotel.”

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