Shanghai sets up free hotel for medical workers infected by COVID-19

A downtown hotel catered exclusively to medical staff has been opened in Shanghai's Huangpu district.

Back financially by the district government, the facility, which is located in a Ji Hotel in People Square, offers free services for medical workers who have been infected during their course of work and do not have a space at home in which they can isolate themselves.

Li Wei, the deputy director of the district's health commission, told China Daily on Tuesday that the 220-room hotel has already received about 60 guests since it opened on Dec 20.

"We hope to offer doctors and nurses who have been hard working on the frontlines a comfortable place to have a good rest and recover as soon as possible," said Li.

Xiao Youdi, a worker from the Shanghai Ruijin Rehabilitation Hospital in the district, is currently one of the guests of the hotel after developing a fever several days ago. She said she checked in to the hotel as she was afraid of infecting her roommate.

Xiao told local news portal ThePaper that she has been pleased with the services and amenities provided daily, which include three meals, antigen testing kits, milk and fresh fruits.

To improve the guest experience, the hotel has also opened a reading cafe where guests can read books and magazines while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee.

Apart from this hotel initiative, the district authorities have also launched a mental health hotline to provide medical workers with professional consultation by the Shanghai Mental Health Center.

The move to offer these services comes just days before the release of the document titled Work Opinions on Ensuring the Strength of Medical Personnel on the Frontlines by the Shanghai Health Commission. In the document, Shanghai's health authorities called for greater efforts to safeguard frontline medical staff who have been working under increased pressure in recent weeks.

The document also called for medical institutions to set up well-appointed rest areas for staff, as well as ensure that staff are given sufficient rest days.