Dilip Ray Apologizes for Violation of COVID-19 Guidelines at MAYFAIR Gopalpur

Bhubaneswar: A day after the Ganjam district administration sealed the MAYFAIR hotel in Gopalpur for violating the COVID-19 guidelines, the hotel owner Dilip Ray has apologized for the incident and welcomed the action taken for the violation of the guidelines.

“The incident of COVID-19 guidelines violation during a wedding party at MAYFAIR Gopalpur on 2nd July was very unfortunate and shouldn’t have happened. I personally apologize for it while welcoming the action taken for the violation of the guidelines”, Ray said on his Facebook post.

“Precautionary measures like social distancing are the only potent weapon to fight this pandemic and there can be no compromise on it. I myself have time and again emphasised its importance through social media and other channels. Even a detailed SOP in this regard has been devised for our Hotel operations- attaching highest standards of priority to safety and hygiene”, he said.

The very fact that places of religious worship continue to remain closed and even Rath Yatra- the most important religious festival of Odisha had to be conducted without devotees speaks volumes about the gravity of the situation.

As an Odisha born Brand, MAYFAIR has always attached great importance to Odia culture, literature, customs and cuisines and it has always been our constant endeavour to promote them pan India through our properties. An incident like this which goes against our State policies and priorities is the last thing I can imagine and I once again apologize for it.

In the face of this incident, the Management has been directed to further upgrade the COVID-19 specific Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) and strictly ensure that no such incident is repeated, he said.

Notably, the Ganjam administration has sealed Hotel Mayfair Gopalpur, where the marriage party was organised, for 7 days for violation of social distancing for arrangement of marriage.

Police also arrested five persons involved in organizing the marriage function.