Monday, March 15, 2021
Front line worker is a phrase rightfully used to classify most COVID-19 heroes. As Goa walks on thin ice with normal routine suddenly getting jolted with a spurt in cases, another lot of front line workers are required on the forefront, with tourism stakeholders needing vaccination on priority.
These front line workers are, after all, at the critical end of the industry with the virus moving across borders due to human interactions.
Tito Proenca, a hotelier, said that anyone over the age of fifty among the front-line staff should be given the vaccine. He said “They are interacting with the guests regularly and it would make a lot of sense to give them the vaccine. It will raise confidence levels.”
Savio Messias, hotelier and former top honcho at TTAG said that since people in the industry interacted a lot with guests mean that they would be in danger of contracting the virus. The spread of the virus could also be attributed to the large number of tourists who would visit Goa every month. Hence, the vaccine, if given to the frontline staff and others in the industry would help combat it.
Nilesh Shah, the President of TTAG felt that this would help project the image of Goa nationally and internationally as a destination that is conscious of the dangers of the virus and is taking steps to fight it. Shah said “We have to present this image of a place that is focused on taking all the steps to fight this virus and to protect those in the industry as well as those who will visit us”.
Anand Chatterjee, GM Planet Hollywood said, “In our profession we are exposed to a large number of guests and to keep this industry moving it is important that the health of the people working in it be safeguarded. They are contributing to the economy of the country by ensuring the travelers are taken care. From housekeeping to those handling the reception to the flight purser they are all front-line workers. Everyone should be given the opportunity to get vaccinated as a front-line worker.”
It would certainly make a lot of sense to initiate a campaign for making sure that all front-line staff in hotels gets vaccinated.
Tags: vaccination
