The tourism industry offers hotels in Bulgaria to serve as a buffer zone between COVID sufferers and healthy people. This practice also existed in other countries such as Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus. In 28 districts in our country there are already nearly 3000 requested beds.
The Deputy Chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association (BHRA) Veselin Nalbantov commented for “NOVA” that hotels cannot be turned into hospitals because they do not have the necessary capacity and potential, but nevertheless responded to the request of the Minister of Health to help the state and society. According to him, these hotel bases can accommodate patients for further treatment, as well as people who have to spend their quarantine somewhere.
According to Nalbantov, in many ways hotels have better conditions than hospitals. He also stated:
„We responded to the call for help and there are already about 3,000 requested beds in 28 settlements in the country. We are ready to negotiate the terms.“
For example, a hotel base in Chepelare is ready to provide beds and expects to start negotiations with the state. Sabi Madankov, who is a member of the “Mechi Chal” hotel association, considers the case complicated because it is not just about providing beds, but also about the availability of medics, equipment and whether the sites meet the requirements.
We remind you that at the same time critics of the idea appeared. According to them, an anti-corruption measure should be devised, which will ensure that no money is poured into hotels connected with the government, but that it will actually go to the treatment or treatment of COVID patients.
