Stamford Land refutes report that its Melbourne hotel was behind 29 Covid-19 cases

Published Wed, Jul 1, 2020 · 02:29 PM

MAINBOARD-listed Stamford Land on Wednesday refuted a report by Australia's national news outlet ABC News, which alleged that Stamford Plaza Melbourne (SPM) hotel was, as of Tuesday, responsible for a total of 29 Covid-19 cases.

The report had said that SPM had breached infection-control protocols, and suggested that the spread of the virus may have been a result of SPM staff sharing a cigarette lighter and car-pooling to work together.

In response, Stamford Land, an independent owner-operator of luxury hotels in Australia and New Zealand, said in a statement: "SPM is not aware of where the 29 cases originated, save to say that these 29 cases did not originate from the staff of SPM, or from the purported breach of infection-control protocols."

It clarified that the hotel had been accommodating returning Australian citizens at the request of the government, and that on June 13, a security contractor - hired by the government, not by SPM or its related companies - tested positive for Covid-19.

Stamford Land also refuted accusations that the spread of the virus was caused by the hotel staff; it said all its employees had tested negative for the virus, and that they were sent for the tests and precautionary measures were imposed after the security contractor tested positive.

Shares of Stamford Land last traded at 34.5 Singapore cents.