How is your Pesach Program preparing for Coronavirus?

amother

Wed, Mar 11 2020, 2:36 pm

Pesach programs have started responding to concerns about coronavirus/COVID-19.

On this forum, I've heard that a couple of programs have been cancelled. I've also heard rumours of other programs refunding people who want to cancel.

Regarding programs that are staying open, I have heard a mixed range of responses. Some are telling people that it's fine, low statistics/risk, not to worry, while others are being proactive in retraining staff and rearranging the way they serve food.

Let's compile what we know about how programs are handling COVID-19, which the World Health Organization officially recognizes to be a pandemic.

What have you heard about how specific Pesach programs are responding to guests' concerns about COVID-19?

(Please include program names.)

EDIT: I will update this opening with news about each program as new information comes in.

CANCELLED + REFUNDING
1. Leisure Time Tours in Rome - transferred some customers to other programs, fully refunded rest
2. Gem Kosher in Pattaya, Thailand - partial refunds
3. My Kosher Hotel in the Dolomite Mountains - unknown about refunds

NOT CANCELLED BUT REFUNDING
1. Kol Tuv Events' program at the Milano Marittima in Italy - 50% refund with 2 years to put remaining money toward a future program; only 20% cancelled, 400 still planning to attend as of March 3

NOT CANCELLED
1. My Kosher Hotel in Rimini, Italy had not been cancelled as of March 3

NOT CANCELLED AND NEW SAFETY PROTOCOLS
1. Matza Fun in New Jersey emailed about new safety protocols (what were they?).
2. JHC Greenwald at the Hilton in Stamford, CT is providing hand sanitizers, changing buffet stations to staff-serving only, training staff and insisting anyone with symptoms not come to work, etc.
3. Kosherica at the Bonaventure in Aventura will provide more handwashing/cleaning supplies and will increase staff to minimize guest contact with buffets, and is asking guests both to wash their hands before entering dining areas and to refrain from taking food with their hands.

amother

Wed, Mar 11 2020, 2:56 pm

Quoting from an anonymous poster on the thread "Pesach program cancellations are going up" and summarizing this article from March 3rd on jta.org -

1) Leisure Time Tours cancelled its Rome program; "the company...was able to transfer some customers to its other hotels while offering full refunds to the rest, managing director Robert Frucher told JTA."

2) Gem Kosher canceled its program in Pattaya, Thailand, "offering partial refunds to the hundreds of guests who had booked rooms at the Renaissance Pattaya Resort & Spa".

3) The My Kosher Hotel program in the Dolomite Mountains was forced to cancel when El Al stopped flights to Italy.

4) The My Kosher Hotel program in Rimini, Italy had not been cancelled (as of March 3).

5) The Koltuv Events program at the Milano Marittima in Italy "offered a 50% refund and two years to put the remaining money toward a future program. Koltuv owner Itzhak Sakav told JTA that only about 20 people had canceled this year and over 400 people were still planning to attend the company’s two Italy programs" (as of March 3).

octopus

Wed, Mar 11 2020, 4:17 pm

Kudos to leisure time tours for offering full refund. A big booooo to the program that only offered a 50% refund .

amother

Khaki

Wed, Mar 11 2020, 4:23 pm

I would imagine that the programs in Italy are now completely cancelled. Things there are much worse than they were a week ago.

Our home-based program is on track to continue as planned. We may have some extra guests who can't fly to their original destinations, but our accommodations are flexible. Wink

amother

Scarlet

Wed, Mar 11 2020, 4:48 pm

Matza fun just sent me a email how they will prevent g-d forbid of spreading the caronavirus
They are not canceling

amother

Wine

Wed, Mar 11 2020, 7:07 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

JHC-Greenwald providing hand sanitizers all over hotel, changing buffet stations to staff-serving only, training staff and insisting any with symptoms not come to work (yeah let’s see how honest the staff will be) and such. I don’t see how that will help the problem of so many hundreds in close quarters in the Shuls, dining rooms, touching the same elevator buttons, stairway railings, doorknobs, etc

amother

Thu, Mar 12 2020, 12:36 am

GKRF had a picture of the Kosherica email. It repeated some CDC guidelines, told guests they have to wash their hands before going to eat and can't take food with their hands, and said 1) they would have more handwashing and cleaning supplies, and 2) they "increased the staff to minimize guest contact with food on the buffet".

midiskirts

Thu, Mar 12 2020, 12:44 am

https://www.totallyjewishtrave.....66nhE

DrMom

Thu, Mar 12 2020, 1:41 am

Who would go to Italy these days???

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Mar 12 2020, 3:21 am

I am absolutely shocked people are still considering going to Italy for Pesach. Literally mouth hanging open shocked.

Mayflower

Thu, Mar 12 2020, 5:26 am

Wouldn't Americans need to go into quarantine when coming back from Europe?

midiskirts

Thu, Mar 12 2020, 10:47 am

Mayflower wrote:

Wouldn't Americans need to go into quarantine when coming back from Europe?

Given the president's address yesterday, would they be able to come back from Europe?

watergirl

Thu, Mar 12 2020, 10:50 am

midiskirts wrote:

Given the president's address yesterday, would they be able to come back from Europe?

Did you watch the entire thing? He was very clear. American citizens and family members of American citizens can come in.

Amarante

Thu, Mar 12 2020, 10:55 am

The ban makes no sense at all - what a surprise.

US citizens are not affected nor are any people from the UK. There is no scientific reason to permit free travel from the UK versus Europe except a non-scientific political reason.