Berjaya Makati Hotel apologized on Friday after a returning Filipina from the United States was allowed to prematurely leave her quarantine in the facility to attend a party in Poblacion.
The Filipina was identified by the Department of Tourism (DOT) as Gwyneth Chua, who checked into the hotel on December 22, attended a party on December 23, and then later tested positive for COVID-19 on December 27.
Her companions during the said party later contracted the disease, according to the DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who was dismayed over the situation.
Berjaya in a statement to the media confirmed the incident with Chua and apologized for the situation.
"The management sincerely apologizes for failing to stop the guest from jumping her quarantine. This was the only incident of its kind in the nearly two years that we have served as a quarantine hotel, and we will make sure that it is the last," it said.
According to the management, they are fully cooperating with the investigations and vowed to deal with the employees involved.
"This was a very serious breach given the pandemic's disastrous impact on lives and livelihood," it said.
"Any employee found errant by commission or omission will be dealt with severely to deter a repeat of what happened," it said.
The statement was released after the DOT issued a show cause order against the hotel, ordering its management to explain the quarantine breach.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and the Bureau of Quarantine on Friday said they are preparing a legal case against Chua, who already admitted to her actions.
