KKTC Accommodation Sector COVID-19 Hygiene and Health Regulation

KKTC Accommodation Sector Hygiene and Public Health Inspection Regulation Before and After COVID-19

Contributors

Dimağ Çağıner – President of KITOB
Mehmet Mülayim – General Manager of Limak Cyprus Hotel
İsmail Tirali – General Manager of Elexus Hotel
Mehmet Dolmacı – Owner of Manolya Hotel
Süleyman Kansu – General Manager of Salamis Hotel
Niyazi Beydağlı – Owner & General Manager of Deniz Kızı Hotel
Işık Türkmen – Deputy General Manager of Cratos Hotel
Özlem Savran – Food Engineer at Salamis Hotel
Hasan Kılınç – Dean of DAÜ Faculty of Tourism
Nafiya Güden – Director of Final University Tourism School
Esra Çelikeri – KITOB Office Manager
Onur Sağlam - IT Manager at Limak Cyprus Hotel

Foreword

Accommodation businesses bear a highly active responsibility in protecting 'Public Health' both for their employees and the guests they serve. KITOB, aware of this responsibility, considers the health concerns of touristic enterprises within its membership criteria and during the period when the World Health Organization's pandemic decision is in effect.

The organization is ready to take necessary steps to fulfill requirements so that businesses can resume operations while safeguarding public health and fulfilling economic obligations. The 'KKTC Covid-19 post-pandemic opening regulation' prepared by KITOB's academic and professional committee has been made available as a detailed list for members after extensive work, to enable tourism to revive.

This regulation, to be applied until the WHO's pandemic decision is lifted, includes protecting employees, tourists, and public health. These activities will enable businesses to return to commercial life. Undoubtedly, these activities will impose obligations on businesses in terms of investment and operational costs.

Purpose

To determine how and in what manner the measures to be taken, mandatory new standards, recommendations, etc., by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) government regarding the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the whole world, will be implemented within the TRNC accommodation sector businesses.

Scope

This regulation covers all official practices, rules, and decisions to be taken by local authorities related to guests and employees in accommodation businesses concerning COVID-19 and other epidemic diseases (infectious diseases), both those determined so far and those to be determined in the future. TRNC accommodation businesses may expand the application areas and scope if necessary.

Responsibility

The employer/employer representative and the Covid-19 Outbreak Committee are responsible for providing the necessary infrastructure, investment, and other services for the implementation of this regulation, communicating it to TRNC accommodation business employees, mentally and physically preparing employees for this emergency, and implementing this plan. All employees are responsible for applying and controlling the measures taken.

Additionally, all guests staying inside are responsible for complying with the articles of this regulation. Explanations regarding this are verbally and in writing communicated to guests upon entry.

Risk Analysis

Identification of Risks

Accommodation facilities must consider the risks related to potential infectious diseases and their transmission methods after the global Covid-19 pandemic and take necessary control measures. Facilities must have the highest level of sensitivity and awareness regarding the occurrence and consequences of risks in financial, managerial, operational, destination prestige, supply chain, and similar areas.

Creation of Action Plans

Necessary, applicable, and realistic measures have been planned for the risks identified within the scope of Covid-19. These actions have been evaluated in order of priority, and businesses responsible for fulfilling each task have been specified along with when these tasks should be completed (before opening/time allowed/recommendation).

Business Continuity

Maintaining TRNC's position in world tourism, strengthening the destination's reliability and the “Safe Zone” image in the eyes of consumers, and ensuring the continuity of opened sectors is possible through effective inspection and guidance. Business continuity can be ensured by continuous inspection of regulatory violations causing interruptions.

At this point, competent committees within TRNC will inspect businesses and effectively control potential future cases without harming the entire business.

Epidemic Emergency Management Preparation Phase

In case of guests or employees showing symptoms, suspected, or confirmed cases, necessary actions to prevent the infection from spreading to a wider population are defined by emergency and action plans. These definitions include;

Isolation Rooms / Areas,
Isolation durations,
Responsible persons,
Internal and external communication units,
Identification of contacts and other information to control the epidemic.

For managing guests and employees showing symptoms and preventing wider infection spread, internal communication is ensured for symptomatic guests or employees;

Channels for hotel staff to report guests showing symptoms to management (housekeeping visiting rooms daily, food and beverage service department, front office, technical service, and other departments in direct contact with guests) must be established.
Guests or employees showing symptoms must be referred to the hotel occupational physician or contracted health unit. Guests or employees refusing this recommendation will be requested to leave the facility via health ministry officials or law enforcement due to health risk and lack of cooperation.
No guest or employee medically confirmed to have the disease can be present in the facility.
Persons identified as close contacts with the patient are promptly directed to authorized health institutions for necessary tests and examinations.
Patients refusing and contacts are requested to leave the hotel.
Travel agencies and tour operators also bear responsibility regarding guests.

Isolation Rooms (Facilities with sufficient capacity) / Areas

The isolation area within the facility should be determined considering the volume of guests, employees, subcontracted services, and the physical infrastructure of the facility, and should be located as far as possible from areas heavily used by guests.

The humane needs of guests or employees placed in the isolation area are met according to facility standards. Businesses may later be sued by isolated guests claiming “my holiday was prevented.” Necessary legal regulations should be enacted and implemented by the Council of Ministers to protect businesses' rights against such situations.

Review of Contracts (Addition of Force Majeure Clause)

Existing contracts should be reviewed and updated by mutual agreement. All external service providers and suppliers serving the business are obliged to implement necessary controls and measures within the scope of the global pandemic and monitor employee health status. Records of measures taken should be shareable upon request. These requirements must be secured in contracts.

Agency Representatives / Guides Management

Information meetings, hotel tours, etc., by agency representatives for guests must be guaranteed to comply with physical distancing rules.
Agency representatives/guides must be informed about Covid-19 measures and rules applied within the facility and asked to comply.
Agencies should be requested to avoid changing incoming representatives as much as possible.

Infirmary / Occupational Physician / Health Personnel

During the pandemic, considering intensity and capacity, it is recommended to assign a health personnel in businesses who can be continuously supervised by the Ministry of Health.

Employee and Guest Commitment

During the ongoing pandemic, written commitment forms (examples in the appendix) stating adherence to rules must be signed with wet signatures by both employees and guests in their own language at each business.

Example 1: Employee Covid-19 Commitment

FULL NAME :
PLACE AND DATE OF BIRTH :
INSURANCE REGISTRATION NO. :
POSITION :

The undersigned employee named above commits to strictly comply with the conditions specified below during the Covid-19 pandemic at our workplace. This instruction and record have been prepared and signed freely by both parties.

Employee Obligations

The employee will work as instructed and trained.
Before starting work, the employee will consider how to perform the job, potential harms, and safety measures.
Information about Covid-19 has been provided; shift-based meals and social distancing are applied; periodic temperature checks are conducted; disinfectants and sufficient masks are provided.
Social distancing arrangements are made for personnel staying in dormitories.
Periodic disinfection of work areas is performed; immediate re-disinfection will be done if suspicion arises.
Shift changes will be conducted observing social distancing rules.
If body temperature rises or the employee feels unwell during work, they will immediately inform their supervisor and contact the occupational physician.
If any colleague shows high temperature or illness, the employee will immediately inform their supervisor.
If any hotel guest shows high temperature or illness, the employee will inform their supervisor.

Employer Obligations

The employer will organize occupational health and safety training and information seminars within one month of the employee starting work, before starting work, upon workplace or job changes, equipment changes, or new technology implementation. Attendance is mandatory.
Trainings will be updated according to new risks and repeated regularly if necessary.
The employer is responsible for conducting all risk assessments related to the work. The employer ensures employees receive occupational health and safety training, especially before starting work, workplace or job changes, equipment changes, or new technology implementation.
The employer will inform employees about workplace health and safety, considering workplace characteristics, including:
- Health and safety risks and preventive measures.
- Their legal rights and responsibilities.
- Persons assigned for first aid, emergencies, epidemics, disasters, fire fighting, and evacuation.
The employer may act through a representative regarding occupational health and safety. The binding nature of the representative's actions on behalf of the employer and employee is established by this declaration.

This instruction record has been fully read and understood by the employee, who commits to comply with occupational safety rules and instructions, and is signed together by employee and employer on …/…/…

Employee Full Name
Employer Full Name
Employee Signature
Employer Signature

Example 2: Guest Covid-19 Declaration and Commitment

Guest Commitment

Welcome, Dear Guest,

We are pleased to host you at our hotel. Our priority is the health and well-being of our guests to ensure a pleasant holiday. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, we are taking additional necessary measures to help protect our guests and staff.

To avoid risking the health of our guests and staff, we kindly ask you to answer the following questions.

Your Name and Surname
Date
Residence Address
Phone Number
Have you had Covid-19?	Yes / No
Have you been in contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case in the last 14 days?	Yes / No
Have you recently been in close contact with someone returning from abroad?	Yes / No
Do you have symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, or shortness of breath?	Yes / No
Was your body temperature measured upon entry to our country?	Yes / No
What was the temperature?

I confirm that the information I have provided above is correct. I allow the facility to measure my body temperature with thermal scanners or thermometers. I accept and commit to comply with instructions to avoid risking the health of other guests and staff based on the measurement results.

SIGNATURE

If you answer YES to any of the above questions, and if the facility detects a high body temperature with thermal scanners or thermometers, you will be taken to our isolation area and legal procedures related to the global pandemic will be applied. We thank you for your understanding and support of our efforts.

Opening Pandemic Action Plan for Businesses

No	Priority	Application	Reason	Department	Subsection	1 and 2 Stars	3 Stars	4 Stars	5 Stars	Holiday Village	Boutique & Apart Hotel	Local Houses & P	U P A N
1	1	Within the hotel, the Animation department will make social distancing announcements for guests during the day and before shows as reminders.	Animation	Animation	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
2	1	Hand sanitizers will be placed in animation activity areas. Hygiene and sanitation numbers will be determined and reported to HK.	Animation	Animation	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
3	1	Before sports activities, guests' hands will be disinfected. Animation staff involved in activities will be provided with leather belts to carry disinfectant sprays. Guests' hands will be disinfected before each activity. A spray tube sample will be designed on the belt. Quantities will be determined and pricing will be done.	Animation	Animation	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
4	1	Social isolation: The number of sports activity equipment will be increased. Hygiene and sanitation for tennis, table tennis equipment, etc.	Animation	Animation	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
5	1	Info desk opening hours will be reduced and hygiene and sanitation practices increased. Masks and face shields will be worn. Opening hours are 10:00 - 12:30 and 14:00 - 17:00. Info desks will be disinfected between 12:30-14:00. Backgammon, playing cards, tennis balls, etc., given to guests will be disinfected with portable UVC devices. A portable UVC device will be purchased and used for disinfecting these items. Product and price research will be conducted.	Animation	Animation	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
6	1	In 2020, group activities not requiring social distancing will be held. Social distancing will be maintained at foam parties, canoeing, inflatable games, pool parties, etc.	Animation	Animation	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X