The Plaza Hotel is bookd to quarantine people by Kirkuk Local Administration, but people are only served breaksfast meals and have to buy lunch and dinner meals on their own.
Kirkuk Plaza Hotel has been booked for people who recently came back to Kirkuk. They will be quarantined at the hotel for 14 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus in case a returnee has contracted the virus.
According to a decree issued on April 18 by Kirkuk acting governor, Rakan Al Jabouri, health directorate will book the hotel for a month.
Earlier, the price for a one-night stay in a single room was 60 dollars at the hotel, but now the price is only 12.5 dollars that also include breakfast meals, as 126 persons will be quarantined there.
Kirkuk, Kirkuk Plazza Hotel, April 2020. Photo: Kirkuk Administration Media.
Sahand Yusuf, who studies in Jordan, has returned to Kirkuk. After staying at K One hospital, he has been moved to the Plaza Hotel. “Only breakfast is served, we bought lunch form the restaurant of the hotel; one meal of Kabab cost 14 thousand Iraqi Dinar ($12).”
He wanted the other meals to be included because it will be costly to buy such “expensive” meals for 14 days.
Kirkuk Health Directorate figures show that 126 people are quarantined in the hotel, most of them were quarantined at the K One hospital but were moved to the hotel due to their complaints.
Kirkuk, Crisis Cell meeting, April 2020. Photo: Kirkuk Administration Media
Zyad Khalaf, acting head of health directorate, “we offered two options to them, either stay at the hospital or being moved to Plaza Hotel at which the price for a one-night stay is 12.5 dollars, that includes brekfast meals.”
“Those who want and afford it can order food, and we will try to find a solution for those who cannot afford ordering food,” Khalaf said.
In recent days, tens of people, who were trapped abroad, returned to Iraq and have to be quarantined for 14 days per medical instructions.
Mohammed Khzr was quarantined at the K One hospital and complained about the place because “the beds were not good. That is why they were moved to the Plaza hotel, where lunch and dinner meals are not offered.”
Besides Plaza Hotel, tens of people are quarantined in K One hospital as well as in Domiz and Shoraw residential apartments.
Kirkuk Local administration has extended the curfew until April 24.
31 coronavirus cases have bene confirmed; among them, 20 patients have recovered, and two dies.
