BENGALURU: After the earlier pandemic period, many industries were able to bounce back, But the paying guest accommodation sector was completely shattered. The PG owners had to go through a lot of trouble over the last few years to get back to normal.
With Covid-19 cases increasing again, the PG owners’ association held a meeting recently and decided to make RT-PCR tests mandatory for those coming from outside the state. The measures are being taken in view of safety, the association said.
The PG Association has taken many precautionary measures such as including :
- People who are staying in PGs have already gone to their hometowns and other states for Christmas vacation and New Year celebrations.
- If there is any change in their health status when they return to PGs, they will have to get an RT-PCR test done immediately.
People with health problems must wear masks. - PG are also checking if everyone has been Covid-vaccinated.
- Those above 50 years of age and those with BP/diabets complaints are advised to wear masks.
D T Arunakumar, president of the PG owners’ association, said there are more than 20,000 PG accommodations in the city with lakhs of people staying in them. “The PG owners are taking precautionary measures as the association had given some instructions to them to follow. Last time, many people suddenly vacated the PGs, in some cases leaving behind their luggage, due to fear of Covid. So we learned from the previous pandemic experience. Many PG owners had to face losses as their buildings remained vacant for years. Therefore, if we have our own guidelines and take precautions before the government announces any norms, our sector will not suffer. We have taken some precautionary measures based on the previous experience and we believe that people living in the PGs will not face any problems as these steps are their safety”, he said.