Makati's Berjaya Hotel, which allowed a woman to break quarantine to party at the nearby Poblacion district, has been suspended and fined over the breach, the Department of Tourism said Wednesday.
The hotel management's public apology over the incident involving Gwyneth Chua was an admission of lapses, the DOT said. Its accreditation was suspended and fined the equivalent of twice the rack rate or advertised price of its most expensive room. Room prices were unavailable online on Wednesday.
Chua was fetched by her father from the quarantine facility to party in Poblacion only to return positive for COVID-19, DOT said. Chua, her parents, and several others are facing criminal complaint.
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In a reply letter to DOT, Berjaya said Chua left the facility 15 minutes after checking in upon her arrival on Dec. 22.
"Neither did the hotel security personnel nor the front lobby call her attention, and neither was there any effort to report the incident to the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ):, even after her return three (3) days later. She was later seen in social media posts at a bar in Poblacion."
Chua returned to the hotel on Christmas night, and underwent RT-PCR test on Dec. 26, yielding a positive result the next day. Four of her close contacts also tested positive.
