Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) donated 15 ventilators and 100,000 masks to aid Maldives' COVID-19 response.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that efforts were underway to transport the equipment to Maldives.
The government formerly revealed that efforts were underway to procure 151 ventilators worth MVR 56 million. The six transportable ventilators that arrived on Sunday were part of this deal.
Furthermore, several international organizations have pledged to provide a total of 28 ventilators to Maldives. The World Bank, UNICEF, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Islamic Development Bank will contribute 18, three, four and three ventilators respectively.
HPL currently owns the Four Seasons and InterContinental Hotels Group (HPL) properties in Maldives, that is, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, Four Seasons Maldives Private Island at Voavah, InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, and Six Senses Laamu.
In addition, the company wholly owns and operates Gili Lankanfushi resort.
Como Hotels and Resorts, a company run by Ong’s wife Christina Ong, also runs COMO Maalifushi and COMO Cocoa Island in Maldives.
Further, according to an internal circular reportedly distributed across HPL's Maldives properties, despite the severe economic repercussions bound for the heavily-tourism reliant island nation, the company has pledged that it shall, for now, continue to pay full salaries for all line staff, in addition to retaining 60 to 70 percent salaries of managerial staff. The announcement comes at a time when, to much public disdain, several companies have reduced salaries, forced lengthy unpaid leaves on employees across the hospitality sector.
A report published by Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in 2018 accused HPL Founder Ong Beng Seng of being allegedly involved in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) graft scandal, the largest corruption case recorded in Maldives till date. However, no charges were ever filed against him.
Maldives' first confirmed case of COVID-19 within the capital city of Male', was recorded on April 15, prompting the lockdown of the greater Male' region for 24 hours. Authorities extended the measures for a 14-day period on April 17 after new cases surfaced.
As of now, Maldives records 86 confirmed and 70 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 16 recoveries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The novel coronavirus has infected over 2.5 million people and claimed over 178,500 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 701,500 people have recovered.
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