Health and safety in hotels in the time of Covid-19

With the spread of the Covid19 Coronavirus, the entire world (Italy among the hardest hit) has suffered a severe economic and moral blow.

All the certainties we had were shattered in a few months, and along with them, people's certainty of living in a world that was, in most cases, "hygienically correct" .

It is precisely on this last point that we will focus.

Tourism in the post-Covid-19 era

In Italy, as in the world at large, one of the sectors that is having the most difficulty restarting, due to widespread skepticism and especially imposed regulations, is tourism.

Hotels, restaurants and bars now have the duty to direct customer “traffic” in a highly hygienic and controlled manner , leaving nothing to chance.

But the question most people are asking is: How can we understand if a hotel, restaurant, or bar is actually compliant with the new regulations?

And above all, if I myself own a hospitality/catering establishment, how can I be sure I won't incur fines due to poor hygiene standards?

To answer this question, we have extracted the main points from the interview with Mr. Marchetti, which answer all the relevant questions in a simple and detailed manner.

The first topic that is touched upon is people's expectations for returning to tourism.

Without a doubt, the data from this analysis revealed that people pay particular attention to everything from the textiles in rooms, bathrooms, and restaurants/bars. Consider that a guest spends eight hours of their time in a hotel, and therefore must be 100% protected.

In this regard, many people wonder whether the best choice is to rely on disposable items , for example for tablecloths, cutlery, etc.

The answer in this case is a categorical no. The reason?

First of all, we don't know where these hypothetical disposable products come from and how they were treated.

And, last but not least, in Italy there are industries that carry out professional sanitization , so it is possible to offer all catering/hotel facilities a sanitized and certified product .

The UNI/EN 14065 certification

There is also a certification, UNI/EN 14065 , which, combined with the guidelines of Assosistema (an association of Confindustria), provides the bacterial load limits that these fabrics can have, allowing everyone to dine elegantly, comfortably, and in a sanitized environment. This certification is recognized throughout Europe.

But, at this point, can a tourist ask the restaurateur to show this certification ?

Absolutely yes, in fact, it would be a good and right thing for everyone to do so, as it demonstrates that the facility is properly sanitized and that we therefore do not run the risk of lingering in an infected environment.

To be honest, it would be important for the restaurateur/hotel manager himself to publicly display the certification.

It's also important to know that the only way to receive this certification is to rely on sanitization companies that have this certificate called, we repeat, UNI/EN 14065 with Assosistema guidelines.

But how can a restaurateur, for example, find these companies that have the UNI/EN 14065 sanitation certificate with Assosistema guidelines?

Simply ask your supplier whether or not they have this specific certification, or alternatively, visit the website www.assosistema.it and find all the relevant information.

The last important aspect to mention is whether or not there is an obligation to adopt this UNI/EN 14065 certification with Assosistema guidelines.

The answer is no, you don't necessarily have to own it, but it's worth emphasizing that it's a great opportunity available in our country, and therefore it would be great to exploit it.

In their latest report released this year, the ISS clearly specified that fabrics originating from a Covid-19 environment (Italy, especially Northern Italy, is one of them) must be washed at a temperature of 90 degrees or, indeed, possess UNI/EN 14065 certification.

In conclusion, it's important to reiterate the thesis that disposable items, given the sanitization options available in Italy, are not a viable option.