Thousands Of Hotels Offer Rooms For COVID-19 Patients
Chicago partners Larry Eppley and Mike Roth spoke with Law360 surrounding how thousands of revenue-strapped U.S. hotels during the COVID-19 crisis are providing rooms to infected patients, people in need of quarantine and medical staff at nearby hospitals, as local governments scramble to find safe housing that will help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"It's an interesting intersection of need and opportunity," Eppley said. "There's a tremendous need for beds for the same reason that so many hotel rooms are empty. Hotels can be a sanctuary for people who have tested positive and need to ride out two weeks in isolation. Or they can provide health care workers closer proximity to hospitals and stop them from infecting their families back home."
Michael Roth, a partner in the real estate practice at Sheppard Mullin, said hotels offer "the perfect non-hospital setting" for people who need to be isolated. Rooms provide secure key card systems, living and working space and oftentimes food service with three meals a day.”