Foreword

Accommodation businesses are environments visited by a large number of people interacting among themselves and with employees. Although there are many pathogenic agents capable of making people ill, especially bacteria and viruses cause infectious diseases that spread rapidly in the form of epidemics. In severe cases during an epidemic, they can lead to death. These pathogenic agents can spread from an infection source (for example, from a sick person, surfaces, etc.) through various transmission routes.

The "Covid-19 Management Guide" in your hands has been created thanks to all the sectoral experiences of ISIS-Turkey company and the expert opinions of all sector stakeholders listed in the contributors section. We thank each of them very much. We hope that this guide, created through our common efforts, will contribute to the restructuring process of the tourism sector.

After the global coronavirus pandemic, the world will no longer be the same as before. The tourism sector must also change and transform its old structure. Countries that rapidly realize this transformation will gain a competitive advantage and turn the crisis into an opportunity. Our old "normals" will no longer exist; new "normals" will emerge. We see our efforts to transform by producing solutions to this extraordinary problem as an opportunity to solve the problems experienced in Turkish tourism.

Since the transformation after the global coronavirus pandemic will be difficult to occur by the tourism investor's own choice due to the competitive environment, we believe that directing the sector to this transformation through regulatory changes by our ministry will be beneficial for our country's tourism. Our country needs a paradigm shift.

Finally; we thank Behiye KARA, Emel MUTLU, Fikret DELİ, İlknur GÜÇLÜTÜRK ÇÖPELLİ, İpek KEPECİ, Mehmet Ö. ÇAKIR, Özgür GÜL, and Sinem KAHRAMAN, who spent intense effort and time during the preparation, writing, and compilation of this guide.

Dr. M. Recai YILMAZ
ISIS-Turkey
May 1, 2020 - Version 1

“Everyone sometimes needs a doctor, but everyone always needs hygiene.”

Contributors (In Alphabetical Order)

  • Adil ÇİÇEK, Alva Donna Hotels Board Member
  • İlknur GÜÇLÜTÜRK ÇÖPELLİ, Quality Manager
  • Adnan KURT, General Manager
  • İpek KEPECİ, Quality Manager
  • A. Adnan SOYASLAN, General Manager
  • İrfan YUMLU, Quality and Guest Relations Manager
  • Ahmet AKÇACIOĞLU, ISIS-Turkey General Manager
  • İsmail ÇORBACIOĞLU, Quality Manager
  • Alaaddin GÜRSES, General Manager
  • İsmail TİRALİ, General Manager
  • Amanda Jane ÖZSOY, General Manager
  • Oğuz KABADAYI, General Coordinator
  • Ayhan HACIBEKTAŞOĞLU, General Manager
  • Özgün YILDIRIM, Quality Manager
  • Aykut KIRBAŞ, TSE
  • Ömer DENGİZ, General Manager
  • Aylin CANSIZ, Training and Development Manager
  • Özgür GÜL, ISIS-Turkey Legal Advisor
  • Behiye KARA, Quality Manager
  • Serdar ÖZKAYA, Assistant General Manager
  • Bora ÖZKURT, Spa Consultant
  • Sinem KAHRAMAN, Quality Manager
  • Cihangir ÇETE, General Manager
  • Sibel GÜN, Quality Manager
  • Çilem BEDER, Quality Manager
  • Sinan IŞIK, Regional Manager
  • Doğan BOZKUŞ, General Manager
  • Mesut DURU, TSE
  • Ekrem CURNAL, General Manager
  • M. Özerk ÇAKIR, Management Consultant
  • Elif KIRBAŞ, TSE
  • M. Recai YILMAZ, ISIS-Turkey Assistant General Manager
  • Elif ŞEREMET, Quality Manager
  • Murat AKÇACIOĞLU, ISIS-Turkey Medical Consultant
  • Emel MUTLU, Training and Development Manager
  • Murat TUGAY, Assistant General Manager
  • Eren TANYERİ, Quality Manager
  • Mustafa ALTUN, Steward Manager
  • Ezel ABACI, Quality Manager
  • Türker ŞAHİN, General Manager
  • Fikret DELİ, Quality Manager
  • Ümmihan ÖZBEY MASIR, TSE
  • Gülbahar PALA ÖLMEZ, Quality Manager
  • Veysel KARATOPUK, ISIS-Turkey IT Manager
  • Huriye ŞİMŞEK, Quality Manager
  • Zülal İNAN, General Manager

The Covid-19 Management Guide for Accommodation Facilities has been prepared as open source by the volunteers named above. The detailed issues in this guide are advisory in nature.

CONTENTS

  1. Establishment of Internal Teams
    • Covid-19 Crisis Team
    • Crisis Communication Plan
    • Risk Analysis
    • Epidemic Emergency Management Preparation Phase
    • Creation of Covid-19 Suspicion or Case Scenario Plans
  2. Crisis Period Cost Management Team
    • Employee Costs
    • Fixed Expenses
    • Review of Contracts
  3. Corporate Development and Strategic Planning Committee
    • Review of Guest Expectations
    • Review of Services and Concepts
    • Review of Employee Expectations
    • Review and Update of Short and Long Term Strategic Goals
    • Brand Management
    • Review of Documentation
  4. Review of Legal Processes
    • Complaint Processes
    • Work Accident Lawsuits
    • Protection of Personal and Special Data
    • Insurance / Policy
    • Review of Contracts (Addition of Force Majeure Clause)
    • System for Monitoring Newly Published Legislation and Incentives
  5. Digital Transformation Committee
    • Digital Solutions for Guests
    • Robotic Services
  6. Occupational Health and Safety Board
    • Employee Awareness and OHS Training
    • Service Specifications for Outsourced Service Providers & Subcontractors
    • Environmental Board and Waste Management During Covid-19 Period
  7. Food Safety Team
    • Goods Acceptance Process
    • Review of Practices in Production, Storage, and Presentation Areas
    • Cleaning and Disinfection Plan
    • Controls, Inspections, and Microbiological and Chemical Analyses
  1. Physical / Operational / Infrastructural Measures to be Taken Within the Scope of Covid-19 and Departmental Implementation Suggestions
    • Business Management
    • Security
      • Door Security
      • Lifeguards
      • Visitor Security
    • Front Office / Guest Relations Management
      • Guest Transfers
      • Reception / Greeting
      • Valet Service / Guest Vehicle Cleaning
      • Personalized Services
      • Bellboys & Luggage Handling / Luggage Room
      • Buggy & Shuttle Vehicles
      • Welcome Drinks
      • Info Tour
      • Call Center / Operations Management
    • Human Resources
      • Employee Trainings
      • Personnel Work Plans
    • Personnel Measures
      • Common Use Areas
      • Personnel Uniforms and PPE
      • Personnel Hygiene
      • Personnel Entry-Exit
      • Personnel Shuttles
      • Personnel Housing
    • Technical Service
      • Ventilation (Conditioning, Filter Cleaning, Indoor Air Hygiene)
    • Swimming Pools and Jacuzzi
    • Water Usage
    • Housekeeping
      • Room Cleaning and Disinfection Practices
      • Common Areas
      • Disinfection Methods and Chemicals
      • Floor / Lobby Offices
      • Floor and Lobby Carts
      • Vector Control (Pest Control)
    • Laundry / Textile Management
      • Distribution Methods and Routes
      • Uniform Washing
      • Non-washable Products
      • Subcontracted Laundry Service
    • SPA & Wellness & Fitness
      • SPA Reception Services
      • Turkish Bath & Sauna & Steam Room
      • Fitness
      • Other SPA Service Areas
    • Animation / Entertainment and Activities
      • Individual Event Management
      • Entertainment Services Outsourced
      • Playgrounds / Luna Park / Adventure Park
    • Children's Club / Youth Club
      • Mini Buffets / Snacks
      • Sleeping Rooms
      • Game Rooms / Adventure Parks / Game Room Areas etc.
    • Agency Representatives / Guides Management
    • Information Technologies / Internet Security
    • Purchasing (Supply Chain Management)
      • Stock Management
      • Contracts
    • Night Club (Indoor Disco)
    • Meeting Rooms / Congress Centers / Cinema Halls
    • Golf Courses / Sports Facilities
    • Infirmary / Workplace Doctor
    • In-House Shops & Stores
    • Outsourced Services
      • Hairdresser & Barber
  2. General Approach in Case of Suspected Guest or Employee in the Business
    • Management of Sick/Suspected Personnel
    • Isolation Room / Area Features
    • Cleaning of Isolation Room / Area and Suspected Case Room
  3. APPENDICES
    • DEFINITIONS
    • Example; Covid-19 Measures Personnel Announcement
    • Example; Covid-19 Measures Guest Announcement
    • Employee Costs
    • Legal Process of Business During Covid-19
    • “Case Graph” (Epi Curve) in Epidemic and Disease Tracking
    • Use of Personal Protective Equipment
    • Use of Thermometer
    • Personal Protective Measures
    • Disinfection Methods and Chemicals
    • Droplet Isolation Measures
    • Personnel Covid-19 Commitment
    • Guest Covid-19 Declaration and Commitment
  4. USEFUL INFORMATION SOURCES
  5. REFERENCES

Introduction

The impact of epidemic diseases at the community level varies depending on the virus's contagiousness, its ability to cause disease (virulence), the immunity status of individuals in the community, interpersonal contact and inter-community transportation characteristics, presence of risk factors, health services provided, and climate. Epidemic diseases affect activities vital to the state and society and the normal flow of community life. Consequently, they can cause difficulties and economic losses.

In the period when a vaccine is not yet available, it is possible to reduce the spread of infection in the community by applying infection prevention and control measures, thereby reducing the number of infected individuals in the early stages of the epidemic and the cases arising from the epidemic disease.

Based on this, in the measures to be taken in accommodation businesses during the Covid-19 epidemic:

  1. Control of time and space,
  2. Cleaning and disinfection of surfaces touched by hand, are two main fundamental issues.

Time and Space Control

The main focus of the fight against Covid-19 will be ensuring control of time and space. It is possible to adapt the 1.5 m distance and 15-minute presence in the same environment algorithm used in the definitions of contact and close contact cases announced by the scientific committee to accommodation facilities. From this perspective, it is important to ensure a 1.5 m distance between guests and employees in all areas inside the facility. Additionally, operational activities where guests and employees must come together should be completed within 15 minutes as much as possible.

For example; businesses should plan to have guests wait at a safe distance during check-in procedures and complete check-in for each group of guests within a maximum of 15 minutes.

Cleaning and Disinfection

Covid-19 spreads through touching the mouth, nose, or eye mucosa with hands after contact. Therefore, it will be possible to control the virus with a correct and effective cleaning and disinfection plan.

Based on these two fundamental issues, the first priority for businesses should be to establish teams to manage the crisis and determine the actions to be taken in managerial/operational processes.

In addition to topics such as guest safety, food and water safety, public health and hygiene, environmental safety and waste management, occupational health and safety that businesses must implement, the guide specifies recommended actions to be taken based on COVID-19.

1. Establishment of Internal Teams

1.1. Covid-19 Crisis Team

This team will manage the global pandemic period and the post-period and provide information flow to senior management. Members of the Covid-19 Crisis Team should include all relevant persons responsible for monitoring actions related to this process within the business.

For managing the Covid-19 Global Pandemic in businesses,

  • A “Covid-19 Crisis Team” should be established, and members should have backups,
  • The crisis team’s manager, communication officer, and spokesperson should be appointed,
  • In addition to relevant responsible persons, the crisis team should include a senior management representative, department managers, workplace doctor, occupational health and safety specialist, and legal advisor and/or lawyer,
  • The duties, authorities, and responsibilities of the business crisis team should be defined,
  • The frequency of crisis team meetings, working and meeting methods should be determined, and the necessary infrastructure should be provided for the crisis team to hold meetings remotely (Skype, Microsoft Teams, etc.) and work from home,
  • The continuity of outsourced services should be reviewed, communication with stakeholders should be maintained during the crisis, and their participation should be ensured where necessary,
  • A reporting and monitoring process should be defined.
  • Businesses should evaluate the crisis period in two stages.
    1. Stage: practices when no case is seen in the business,
    2. Stage: planning actions to be taken if there is a suspected or confirmed case in the business.

1.1.1. Crisis Communication Plan

The Covid-19 Crisis team should define the internal and external communication process to ensure effective communication during the epidemic period.

  • Information is obtained from experts about the situation and source causing the crisis in epidemic diseases.
  • Information flow about the crisis and its effects is provided to the committee. The committee reviews this information and coordinates necessary precautions and arrangements.
  • Whether any previous epidemic disease was encountered and, if so, what measures were taken and their results should be investigated.
  • POSI procedures should be implemented. (If POSI Procedures do not exist, they should be created.)
  • The potential effects of the crisis on guests and employees within the business should be investigated.
  • Communication with official institutions should be maintained at a high level.
  • Guests, employees, visitors, agencies, and suppliers should be informed. This information should be clear, precise, and understandable.
  • When creating the communication plan, the Crisis Team must ensure that the information used in communication is consistent and reliable with the information produced by the hygiene and sanitation management system. Businesses should be able to respond to communications related to the hygiene and sanitation management system.

1.1.2. Risk Analysis

Identification of Risks

Businesses must consider the risks related to potential infectious diseases and their transmission methods after the Covid-19 global pandemic and take necessary control measures. Existing process risk analyses and occupational health and safety risk analyses in the business should be reviewed. Risks related to the Covid-19 global pandemic should be fully addressed and defined, and risk scoring and action plans should be made according to the measures the business can take.

Risk identification options should include avoidance of risk, acceptable risk, elimination of the risk source, and the consequences of risk occurrence, covering financial, managerial, operational, geographical, biological, prestige, supply chain, and similar aspects of the facility. Risk analysis methodology can be performed using the conventional matrix system.

Creation of Action Plans

Necessary, applicable, and realistic measures should be planned for the risks defined within the scope of Covid-19, these actions should be evaluated in order of priority, the persons and teams responsible for each task, deadlines and stages for completion, resources needed to complete tasks, and measures to evaluate progress should be determined.

Examination of Opportunities

While defining Covid-19 risks, points that may create opportunities for the business should be considered and listed. Opportunities should be grouped and evaluated according to the difficulty or ease of implementing the proposal, the expected gain for the business, and the degree of risks the company may face by implementing the proposal.

Business Continuity

Business continuity refers to when violations causing interruptions (natural disasters, fire, epidemic, etc.) occur, the said violation...