When it appears that the COVID-19 disease is more deadly than seasonal influenza, it is obvious that your guests are afraid to travel or consider any other accommodation option safe. 

But, as a hotel, you can adopt a few preventive measures, and assure a safe stay for your guests. 

Well, we have covered the what, why and how of COVID-19 and which preventive measures hotels should take to assure a safe stay to your guests. 

What is Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others circulating among animals, including camels, cats and bats

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. This virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has made a dedicated page that has comprehensive information on COVID-19. You can explore more of this outbreak from here.

How does it spread?

Coronaviruses in human spread just like the flu or a cold (from person to person). Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others.

• Through the air by coughing or sneezing
• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it
• Occasionally, faecal contamination

What are its symptoms?

The basic symptoms of the COVID-19 can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath 
• Runny nose

The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying. 

How to keep your hotel safe from Coronavirus?

As a hotel, you should act immediately and start introducing preventive measures. Following are mandatory actions that you should immediately bring into practice:

1. Keep your staff aware of the disease

Though 99% of your staff must be fairly familiar with the outbreak to some extent. We would still recommend you to arrange a meeting and make them aware of it to all corners.  

Educate them about the preventive measures that they should take on your hotel premises. Also, brief them about the guidelines provided by the local health authorities.

2. Check whether any of your staff or guests have been infected

Have the infrared thermometers at your frontdesk to conduct temperature checks on all guests. Your staff can request all your newly arrived guests to measure their body temperature via a thermal scanner placed near the entrance. 

If you find any guests who are unwell with any symptoms of fever, flu or respiratory problems, ask them to consult a doctor immediately. Ask the sick suspicious guests to get their check-up done at the nearest clinic, checking in to the hotel. Take extra care while catering to international guests.  

3. Ensure cleanliness in every corner of your hotel

The COVID-19 virus spreads through the surface as well. So make sure every corner of your hotel is cleaned. 

Especially the surfaces or areas which are used frequently by your guests and staff members such as, the doors, the reception area, the front desk, lift or elevator buttons and so on. You can also apply plastic insulating films on the lift and elevator buttons, and change it every day to avoid germs spreading. 

Above all, if you have an in-house restaurant, ensure the cleanliness of your kitchen. Ask your chefs to wear surgical masks and wash their hands frequently.

All buffet or semi-buffet food should be served in smaller portions. It should be replaced or replenished every 30 minutes to avoid contamination. The crockery and utensils used at the buffet counters, including tongs, spoons and under liner should be changed and sanitized.

Besides, ensure that tableware including salt & pepper shakers, toothpick holders, sugar container, tent cardholders, menus and bill folders are being cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis.  

In addition to this, the main entrance and carpets at the hotel’s lobby are sprayed with qualified disinfectant every hour.

4. Use sanitizers and masks 

Provide your staff members with surgical masks, alcohol-based hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol) and gloves to wear. Ask them to always wear masks and use sanitizer frequently.  

If it is feasible, try to install the alcohol-based disinfectant hand rub dispensers at your front desk, reception area, in-house restaurant, cafe, meeting rooms or hotel lobbies. If you can’t, then at least keep big bottles of sanitizers at all these places. 

Keep sanitizers and surgical masks in each hotel room. Encourage your hotel staff as well as your guests to use sanitizers frequently. 

Keep helpful signs of washing hands and using sanitizers in common areas of your hotel.

5. Avoid handshakes. Do ‘Mingalabar’

Well, the handshake is a great way of transferring different microbes like viruses and bacteria from one person to another. So for the time being, ask your staff members to avoid shaking their hands with guests. Also, they should avoid frequent physical contact internally. 

Even the health experts warn that shaking hands is a prime way to spread the coronavirus. You should adopt some different methods of greeting people, like elbow bumps or Mingalabar. 

6. Maintain records

You should maintain accurate guest records. This includes maintaining guest registration records (name, ID Proofs, and other details), data of electronic locks, and security camera tapes. This is especially important if someone in your hotel has been diagnosed with the virus.

These records should be kept for a minimum of 90 days.

7. Check where your supply is coming from

Keep a tab on your suppliers and other outsourcing agencies. 

Ensure megastores from where you are getting inventory for your in-house restaurant is safe from COVID-19. None of your food or beverage should be sourced from Hubei province or Wuhan city, where the Novel Coronavirus originated from.

Besides, check whether the laundry services agencies are taking some preventive measures. 

So, this was all about how you can keep your hotel safe from corona virus.

And most importantly, when you are taking all these measures, keep your guests posted about the same. Highlight these measures being taken at your hotel in real-time on your website and social media pages. So, your guests can know that their stay at your hotel is going to be safe and pleasant. 

You have to take these measures sincerely, to be safe from this outbreak. Along with, as a hotel owner/manager consider these preventive measures for yourself too and be safe.

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The exact date of Vesak is based on the Asian lunisolar calendars and is primarily celebrated in Vaisakha month of the Buddhist calendar and the Hindu calendar, and hence the name Vesak. In Nepal, which is considered the birth-country of Buddha, it is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the Hindu calendar, and is traditionally called Buddha Purnima, Purnima meaning the full moon day in Sanskrit.

In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on a full moon Uposatha day, typically in the 5th or 6th lunar month. The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar, but usually falls in April or May. In leap years it may be celebrated in June.

Mandalay is famous and strange of celebrating “Sand Stupa Pagoda” among the other towns in Myanmar because six sand stupa pagodas are situated in quarters along the bank of “Shwe Ta Chaung Canal” that flows Maddaya to Mandalay city. “Maha Walu Ka”, “Mont Te Su” sand stupa pagoda always renew two days ahead of “Kason” fullmoon day every year. First day, people have to finish sand stupa pagoda within one day .

Second day is preparation time for donation to monks and Buddha. Fullmoon day is pagoda festival day and make donations. Sand Stupa Pagodas have to build within one day and that last for the whole year that should not miss out to visit and see there.

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The centre of this year’s celebration will be around the Mandalay moat and city walls.
Those who want to erect water-spraying pavilions around the moat, where they can sell tickets to revellers, can participate in the bidding supervised by the city.

Mandalay have introduced walking water splash, rural Thingyan night market, and Pyidaungsu Thingyan for this year
“Walking Thingyan” on 26th street has attracted revelers this year, making the festival more attractive than previous years.The he Mandalay City Development Committee is going to try to ramp up travel and tourism in Mandalay by celebrating this year’s water festival with Mandalay Walking Thingyan and Countryside Thingyan Night Market.

The aim is to elevate tourism in Mandalay ,would like all tourists to come here during Thingyan festival and like to arrange trips for them to visit our three ancient cities Bagan, Innwa and Amarapura before they participate in the festival.

To attract tourists and visitors, the MCDC has arranged the Countryside Thingyan Night Market to take place between 19th street and 23th street, at the eastern palace moat. The MCDC initially planned to allow building pandals from 12nd street to 20th street and opening stalls both day and night on 66th street for up to 450 feet at the 26th street at the eastern moat.

Just like last year, the walk way will be located at the southern moat along 26th street between 66th street and 78th street. The Union of Myanmar Travel Association will be given an area for the festival between 66th street and 69th street on the 26th street.

What is the meaning behind throwing water ?

A festival celebrated since 9th century, or the first Burmese Empire before the spread of Theravada Buddhism in the empire. It is one of the ancient (either Brahmanic or early Verdic Hindi) beliefs or practices to dive in the water or river to cleanse the soul spiritually. The main reason of pouring water on each other during Thingyan derives from such practices, to clean the soul from all bad deeds of the previous year and to start a new year with fresh soul and body. April being one of the hottest months in Myanmar, people have fun pouring water on each other for 4 straight days under the sun with sweet smile surprisingly without getting sick.
If you plan to take part in the water festival in Myanmar, here are a few useful tips that you should be aware or prepared of:

1. Expect to get wet : At the Thingyan Festival, water is thrown at you from all kind of sources and all possible ways i.e. tin cans, bowls, watering pipes to fire hoses. Regardless of who/what you are, what you are doing or wearing, you will be poured and get wet from head to toe. So be prepared to have fun while getting drowned under big fire hose as you will not be able to escape from it.

2. Embrace the madness : This is the time of the year where the whole country celebrates. A party that last for three days and a party at a size of a town. The main areas of the festival will be an absolute riot. These ‘pandals’, temporary raised stages erected on main roads are usually furnished with high powered water jets with which the occupants proceed to hose anyone and anything that passes by. The Burmese pile themselves into jeeps, pick up trucks and cars, some even with the doors missing, packing as many people into and onto a vehicle as possible. They then tour the city ‘visiting’ each pandal with the apparent intention of just getting absolutely soaked.

3. Who are spared from throwing water : A few people gets special permission not to get wet during Thingyan and these are monks, nuns, pregnant ladies and those taking Sabbath (who are wearing white blouse/shirt and brown longyis). So please make sure to avoid throwing water to these people in whatever condition you may be in even though it is very unlikely for these people to come out and play water.

4. Water proof Accessories : You can buy waterproof folders for your phone and other belongings just about everywhere. Make sure you test them before you trust them though.

5. What to wear : Wear something that will weather the wetness. Do not wear jeans as it would get really heavy on you. Do not wear flip flops nor heels but sandals with adjustable straps or light shoes. Flip flops will be washed down into the drains and it is very difficult to walk in shoes going up the pandals, cars or evening walking the congested long roads.

Here are the lists of accessories and clothes you might need :
– Sunglasses (however, you are likely to get yours lost or broken within 4 days.)
– A Hat (optional)
– Sun block and Aloe Gel to sooth the sunburn at night. (Under a hot sun, it is very easy for foreigners to get sunburn.) All make up accessories should be water proof, otherwise you will look like a panda.
6. Do not bring or wear anything valuable : It is very likely that you will have fun, dancing and drinking and throwing water the whole day that it is very easy to lose valuable items such as sunglasses, earrings, rings, necklaces and etc.

7. Book Accommodation : Things can book out a fair way in advance, especially because many Burmese people return to the big cities for the celebration. Book ahead! Lot of travelers are visiting their home towns or travelling elsewhere to celebrate Thingyan. Place like Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Inle and beaches tend to be fully booked with people coming in for the celebrations. It is very normal for beach hotels to double the room price as well.

8. Pre-Organise Transport : One thing we discovered is that transport rarely runs a few days before, during the festival and a couple of days after. Flights will be full and ticket price are expected to double. Reserve your tickets early. Trains rarely book out as you can only buy tickets up to one day beforehand. This could be a good option if buses and flights are full.

9. Not a time for business : Thingyan is not a time to do business nor entertain your business partners. All the offices and enterprises close down for five to ten days of Thingyan and nobody has a thought for business. It is also very likely for almost all shops to be closed on the 13th – 17th of April. Thingyan is time to wash away not only sins but also problems and worries of everyday life.

10. Yangon and Mandalay : The biggest celebrations are at Yangon and Mandalay. The celebrations at Yangon, befitting a port and capital city have a modern flavour. Those at Mandalay, the country’s cultural centre, are more traditional. Since the celebrations are held over three or four days depending on the calendar of that particular year, you can cover both cities.

11. After Thingyan effects : Hangovers, sore throat from screaming and shouting are very common. Also it is advisable to buy insurance for injuries and accidents as a great amount of alcohol consumption often leads to accidents and fights even though it may not be serious.

As well as the water fun, there is also traditional singing and dancing in the evenings featuring the traditional Thingyan dance at night. After 3 days straight celebrating water festival, on 1st day of Buddhist calendar year, locals perform meritorious deeds at monasteries, pagodas, elderly homes and orphanages e.g. washing the elderly’s hair and letting loose fish and cattle.

Of course there are people who celebrate the new year by doing good deeds. Many people enter Thingyan meditation camps, some as a normal Sabbath keepers some as nuns and monks fasting and keeping the Eight Precepts or Ten Precepts and go to the monasteries and pagodas to offer alms-food.

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This was the start of my real Adventure stories.

Let me start with a little background. I’ve never been particularly athletic—even as a kid, I’m the one who could never do a criss-cross jumping rope during gym class, never mind doubles. I didn’t play high school sports also.
Let’s just say if you ever met me in the customer service area, you’d never think to yourself, “There goes a woman who would crush a bicycle tour.” This is actually happening. Unexpectedly I got a chance to do Cycling Adventures together with Jolly Adventures collaborate with Hotel by the Red Canal, Mandalay.

It was awesome to have Bicycle Adventures. Truth: I was prepared for a little heckling when I mounted my Bike. But I’m looking around at my bicycle tour comrades and I realize—we’re in this together. And I’m not the only one on a Bike. And no one even cares! My inner three-toed sloth is doing a celebration dance. And I know this trip is going to be awesome.
This trip take a morning ride to the outskirts of Mandalay. We grab a bike, leave the hotel and cycle to the northeast of Mandalay. Our team first, ride to a local teashop for the breakfast because we woke up early and no one have their breakfasts. I looked at the time and it was 7:00am already.

When we arrived the local tea shop, I looked around the shop. I feel it was a bit strange because of my first time sitting in local tea shop with cycling guys where locals sit and sip steaming cup of Chai (Indian Tea) with flat breads such as Naan or Paratha, while chatting, watching the football matches or reading the daily newspapers there.
Then embark on a quiet ride to Patheing Gyi, leaving the metropolis behind for a rural area where you will see the big smiles of villagers, the warm greetings of locals, the farmers on their farms and real beauties of natures. The people in my tour group are amazing , very funny and helpful.

We ride across the green fields, farms and ponds, I can’t stop watching the picturesque scenario of natures, the flowers, the birds, the blue sky and green trees and plants. I meet up with the people from the villages on our route, they surprisingly looked at me, greet me and appreciate on me that I am a lady who is not a foreigner .They clapped at me as soon as they noticed me was Myanmar young lady. I don’t know about the other guys, but I kind of feel like a celebrity when they saw me , greeted me and treated me like that.

From personal experience, I can tell you that a bicycle adventure will change you for the better, both physically and mentally. Of course, physical preparation isn’t just helpful for bike tours, it can have a positive impact on many aspects of your life.

I think it’s important to state up front that physical fitness doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. So many of the activities that contribute to a healthy body can be done right in the privacy of your home, like strength and resistance training, stretching, and even cardio.

The work you do toward preparing your body pays benefits in all sorts of unexpected ways, whether you’re training for a bike tour with the family or just want less stiffness and more stamina when you’re gardening, doing housework, or playing with your grandkids at the park.

On our tour, we have both Myanmar and English speaking guide. Can hire a bike Trek or Giant. This first day was Half Day Village Ride with one breakfast tea break. Our Group size was 5 people and the distance we rode is 38km (20 miles) for 5 hours.

You can book and join this bike tour activities with Hotel by the Red Canal. Hotline: +95 02 4061177.Both Foreigners and Local people can join this cycling adventure with me also.
We all need a little something as a reward in order to remain focused, so when you achieve one of your goals, treat yourself—you deserve it!

On my way back from Patheing Gyi tarmac road to hotel, I think that “I am going to fall in love this cycling adventure activities with a whole lot of confidence, great memories, and an impressive cycling tour. Life is good. And I have to take care of my bum well-rested and ready for a full day in the saddle for next cycling adventure activities”. I’m not even exaggerating when I say I’m having the time of my life!

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Knowing from one of the baskets makers said that this is a home-based job opportunity for them. They buy raw materials from the plastic factory in Industrial Zone 1 in the region, paying Ks 1,200 per Kilo.

They woven baskets for their survival and this is a family business in the region. Most married women working from home. There is a regular demand for the handmade woven plastic baskets, which are available in different sizes, designs and colors.

A woman makes handmade plastic woven baskets for selling in Amarapura Township, Mandalay. Photo: Tain Ta Man

They have mostly been sent to Shwebo, Myitkyina and Mandalay markets. The wholesale price for a basket is Ks 1,500. In the retail market, the price rose to Ks 2,000 from Ks 3,000. A local basket maker receive wages of Ks 500-Ks 600 per basket based on size.

Handmade baskets are one of the popular accessories of people for shopping groceries, flowers and meats at local markets and are boost income in Mandalay.

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According to the directorate of hotels and tourism, Mandalay hosted 203,145 foreign travelers between January and August.
This time last year, a total of 194,520 tourists entered the region. The majority of visitors are from China, Thailand, India, Singapore and Viet Nam. Citizens of Japan, Austria, New Zealand, Britain and the US also visited the region through border points of entry. They trips to Bagan-Nyaung U, Buddhist archaeological site, Mandalay Cultural Zone, the Ava ancient city continue all year round.

A scenic hill town PyinOoLwin is one of attractions in Mandalay and it is always crowded with visitors at home and abroad.
The directorate of hotels and tourism estimates that tourists arrivals in Mandalay is likely to increase than that of previous year.

Source—Global New Light of Myanmar ,Maung Pyi Thu (Mandalay)
Photo-Supplied

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Research programme has been continued by the Forest Department, Wildlife Conservation Society’s Myanmar Program and Turtle Survival Alliance in Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary, observing natural characters of star tortoises and their health.

Situated in Minbu Township, Magway Region, a total of 150 star tortoises (Geochelone Platynota), a critically endangered species, are naturally living in the sanctuary, according to a report of the Myawady Daily issued on Sunday. All of the total numbers, small radio transmitters have been installed on the back of 42 turtle’s upper shell to provide information for follow-up healthcare to those land-dwelling reptiles in the sanctuary. Altogether 50 tortoises have been placed in each 2.5-acre wide plot. Recording, mapping and calculation have been conducted by research team thrice a month.

The rare species is native to the dry and deciduous forests in the country. It can be found in Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway regions. This kind of tortoise normally eats grass, weeds, leaves, flowers and other fibrous plants as well as earthworms and snails. The tortoises normally lay eggs up to four times a year.

There are three protected areas for star tortoises in the country: Lawkananda Wildlife Sanctuary in Bagan; Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary in Minbu Township and Minsontaung Wildlife Sanctuary in Natogyi Township.

Source:Global New Light Of Myanmar
Photo: Supplied

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