Planning to visit Hawaii? This website has information on Hawaii hotels’ COVID-19 health & safety protocols.

Our commentary on the Aston Waikiki Beach COVID-19 Health & Safety Protocols

The State of Hawaii issued an emergency proclamation on November 23, 2020 requiring hotels to publish their COVID-19 Health & Safety plans and submit it to the state’s Hawaii Tourism Authority (“HTA”). Below is our commentary on each hotel’s COVID-19 Health & Safety Plans they way they appear on the HTA website so that guests and hospitality workers have a better understanding of these plans.

The protocol document posted on the HTA site for Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel as of 1/6/21 is seven pages long. Here are a few of the issues we found with Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel’s protocols:

There is no mention of employees taking any sort of test, even a temperature check.
It is not clear from the document how the hotel intends to collect information necessary to conduct contact tracing. The document states, “Should a guest or staff member be diagnosed with COVID-19 after leaving the hotel, all guests and staff that were present at the same time will be notified. If a guest or staff member is diagnosed while staying with us, proper isolation protocols will be followed pursuant to CDC and WHO guidelines, and guests and staff will be notified.” However:
- This does not explain how the hotel will get the contact information, information about when each person was present or what parts of the hotel they were present in.
- It is not clear from this document whether this policy will apply to people other than those staying at the hotel and hotel employee entering hotel property (such as diners, vendors, or delivery services).
- It is not clear in this protocol document what isolation protocols the hotel will follow except that they will be pursuant to CDC and WHO guidelines.
- There is no discussion about whether employees who may contract COVID or suspect that they have contracted COVID will be a) told not to come to work; b) instructed not to enter the property at all; c) subject to a non-punitive sick leave policy; or d) given paid sick leave during periods of illness or quarantine.
There is no discussion of whether rooms that housed COVID-positive guests (should there be any) or work areas of COVID-positive associates (should there be any) will be cleaned any differently from any other room. Apart from the quote above (which does not address cleaning), the only other information in the document about the handling of suspected COVID-positive guests or workers is the statement: “Our associates are equipped to handle confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases among guests and colleagues.”
There is no discussion about the hotel testing guests in any form, even temperature checks upon or any time after arrival at the property.
There is no discussion about air filtration systems.

Check the HTA site to see if updated protocols are posted.

Do you work at the Aston Waikiki Beach? Leave a review below. Based on your observations, has your employer followed COVID-19 health and safety protocols? (e.g. is hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment provided? How much training did you receive on these health and safety protocols?)

Hawaii Workers Against Covid

Information on Hawaii hotels’ COVID-19 health & safety protocols

Aston Waikiki Beach

Aston Waikiki Beach

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