Shangri-La Boracay temporarily shut as some staff test positive for COVID-19

by ABS-CBN News, 24 Jan 2021

MANILA – Shangri-La Boracay will be closed until Jan. 28 as a precaution after several of its employees tested positive for COVID-19, the operator of the hotel resort confirmed on Sunday.

In a statement, Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa said the establishment’s closure started on Jan. 22 after “a small number of colleagues” were diagnosed with COVID-19.

“We can confirm these colleagues were asymptomatic and did not exhibit any outward symptoms or reported feeling unwell on the days they were on duty,” the resort operator said.

Shangri-La said that after being notified of the test results, the affected staff were all placed in self-isolation in accordance with the government’s COVID-19 guidelines.

The company said it will use the 6-day closure to “conduct further deep cleaning and disinfection of the resort.”

Shangri-La added that they have helped guests affected by the temporary closure to move into other resorts within Boracay. Guests who had already booked during the closure meanwhile were notified and were given the option to rebook or refund.

“We remain in close contact with the DOT and all relevant authorities and will continue to act in the best interest of all our guests and colleagues,” Shangri-La said.

Boracay, which is regarded as one of the Philippines’ best beaches, reopened its doors to tourists late last year after being closed for a large part of 2020 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.