Covid 19 coronavirus: Devon Hotel awaits all-clear on room used by Covid guest

A hotelier is confident the cleaning protocols at his hotel will guard guests against Covid-19. Photo: 123RF

A New Plymouth hotelier is confident there is little health risk for guests who stayed in the same room as a man who tested positive for Covid-19.

The Auckland man spent two days working at Port Taranaki before experiencing symptoms.

He was among about 150 guests staying at the Devon Hotel on Tuesday night.

The hotel's owner, Peter Tennent, said different guests stayed in that same room until yesterday when he was notified of the case.

"On this occasion I'm grateful the guest checked in, went straight to their room, checked out and left and went to work. The guest wanted to stay another night but we were full.

"I understand the next 12 to 24 hours could potentially have been a problem ... it would've gone from no risk to low risk. It's blind luck but I'm grateful that didn't happen."

He said the hotel has a strict cleaning regime and each room is fully cleaned when a guest leaves.

"We go to a lot of trouble with door handles and touch points with the protocols around the hotel and I'm proud of the team but it's always appropriate to stop and say 'have we got it right' and this is a classic example that just through blind luck we were a day early from that infectious period."

He said health authorities told him the man was unlikely to have been contagious during his stay.

Tennent said the room was fully booked until the hotel was notified of the positive case.

"The guest checked out early Wednesday morning and that room has been used every night with different guests till this morning [Sunday]. That room has now been blocked and the deep clean has been done and that room will not be let until we get a full clearance from the health department.

"All those details have been given to the health department but I haven't heard and don't anticipate hearing back unless there's a problem and I don't anticipate there'll be a problem."

He said the hotel was open and locals had not been put off coming to the bar and restaurant to watch the All Blacks' match on Sunday night.