Rosen reopens 2 hotels after months-long coronavirus closure, signaling slow return of tourism to Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. - The tourism industry of Central Florida is slowing returning as the Rosen Plaza and the Rosen Inn welcomes back guests on Sunday.
The hotels, located on International Drive, have put new safety measures in place to keep guests and employees safe from coronavirus. For example, everyone must wear a mask and have their temperature checked at the door. Plexiglass partitions separate guests from staff and there are hand sanitizer stations everywhere. In addition, furniture in shared areas is socially-distanced. Electrostatic guns will be used to sanitize rooms.
The pandemic shut down much of Central Florida's economy, hitting local businesses hard. Many of the Rosen hotels closed in April because of COVID-19 and as a result, unprecedented layoffs occurred.
The General Manager at the Rosen Plaza told FOX 35 Orlando that his hotel has about 70 percent of its staffing positions back working though.
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“It's really nice, I'm really happy that they're open today,” said hotel guest Shawn Benak Mason. "It's really nice to get a little break and get away for the day.”
Mason didn't not travel far to get there, as she lives in Mount Dora. However, she told FOX 35 Orlando that she was happy to get away and for the safety protocols, stating that "I think it's a really great idea to keep everybody safe and I like that, it makes me feel really safe."
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The latest numbers from the Florida Department of Health show that there have been over 414,000 positive cases of COVID-19 statewide since the pandemic started, resulting in almost 5,800 deaths.
On Friday and Saturday, more than 12,000 new cases were reported each day, making Florida the U.S. state with the second-highest official coronavirus cases, passing New York. California still has the most in the country.
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