Volusia hotel managers consider tourism impact of new COVID surge

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DAYTONA Seaside SHORES — Like numerous beachside lodges, Perry’s Ocean Edge Vacation resort has been basking in a booming summer months small business that rebounded in a massive way as COVID-19 limits eased and scenario figures declined previously this 12 months.

Now, having said that, the pandemic’s presence is once again casting a even bigger shadow in excess of the hotel’s every day operation, as headlines report history-setting spikes in hospitalizations tied to the emergence of the hugely infectious delta variant.

A lot more:COVID weekly update: Volusia, Flagler counties hit document variety of weekly COVID-19 cases

“This week, we went back again into comprehensive COVID protocols,” claimed Jeff Vandiver, normal manager of the 214-place lodge that has been an oceanfront fixture for practically 80 years. “We’ve had no cancellations at this time, but I’m having a whole lot of thoughts from guests.”

Front desk clerk Shane Treudt works behind a clear plastic screen at Perry's Ocean Edge Resort in Daytona Beach Shores. On the counter, guests are greeted by a bottle of hand sanitizer and a note outlining the hotel's COVID-19 policies. "This week, we went back into full COVID protocols,” said Jeff Vandiver, general manager.

At Perry’s, alterations include things like a return to a coverage of providing home service only by ask for, a job that is concluded with guests out of the space, Vandiver reported. The lodge earlier this summer experienced returned to comprehensive housekeeping support amid much more optimistic pandemic information on July 1, he claimed.

There’s also a alter in the way the hotel is giving its breakfast buffet, exactly where foods items are now becoming ladled out by hotel staff members alternatively than enabling friends to provide on their own, Vandiver reported. Supplemental distinct plastic shields have been put in spot and far more arrows are being additional to floors to help with social distancing, he explained.

Front desk clerk Shane Treudt works behind a clear plastic screen at Perry's Ocean Edge Resort in Daytona Beach Shores on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021. After relaxing some of its COVID-related procedures earlier this summer, the hotel has re-instituted stricter guidelines in the wake of a recent significant increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

The improvements replicate expanding concerns about a considerable spike in COVID numbers.

Healthcare facility update:No readers for COVID-19 individuals at Halifax Health, AdventHealth and Flagler Medical center

Halifax Wellness, which operates 3 hospitals in Volusia County, experienced 147 COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, in accordance to hospital spokesman John Guthrie. Of these, one particular 3rd are in essential treatment and one particular quarter are on ventilators.

AdventHealth Central Florida, which operates hospitals throughout 7 Florida counties like Volusia and Flagler counties, reported 1,200 COVID-19 clients, said Dr. Joe Smith, chief clinical officer of AdventHealth Daytona Beach front, in the course of the Volusia County Council conference on Tuesday early morning.

An AdventHealth care team dons protective gear before entering a patient's room in July. The hospital system went to "black" status after an astronomical surge in COVID admissions.

On Sunday, Florida broke a preceding record for existing hospitalizations, set additional than a year back in advance of vaccines were obtainable, with 10,207 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19, according to facts described to the U.S. Section of Wellness & Human Providers.

‘Very concerned’

Whilst guests frequently have not began to pull the plug on planned holidays, tourism officers are involved about the probable impression as the location heads towards the predicted summer season climax of Labor Working day weekend and the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 28 at Daytona Worldwide Speedway.

Extra:Daytona International Speedway eliminates remaining COVID-19 limits for Coke Zero Sugar 400

“I had 8 calls this morning from hoteliers who are all pretty involved,” reported Bob Davis, president and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Affiliation of Volusia County. “That’s easy to understand. We’re owning extra hospitalizations than in the peak of pandemic.”

With Florida generating countrywide news as a COVID sizzling-location, the prospective effects on the mindset of future site visitors is a reputable problem, reported Evelyn Fantastic, president of Mid-Florida Marketing and advertising & Study.

“The condition is obtaining large quantities of publicity for the increase in COVID bacterial infections and almost nothing looks to be halting it,” stated Fine, who has claimed Volusia County tourism facts given that 1976. “I’m generally reluctant to make any predictions, and we won’t know right up until we appear at the quantities, but I’m certainly anxious about it. Men and women are paying out focus to that.”

At the 91-place Solar Viking Lodge in Daytona Seashore Shores, the pandemic’s affect by now has resulted in a handful of cancellations of bookings in excess of the future two months, reported Greg Brown, standard supervisor.

More:Soon after more than 50 several years as hoteliers, Brown family sells Daytona Beach’s Sunshine Viking Lodge

“It’s definitely similar to COVID worries,” Brown explained. “We also had a visitor look at out a day early yesterday mainly because she was anxious about all the Florida conditions being bigger. We have experienced cancellations for this weekend and up coming weekend around considerations about the increasing figures.”

In addition to the concern of attracting people, resort professionals also have to have to be vigilant about serving to to shield the well being of their staff, Davis claimed. In an business currently difficult-hit by a labor shortage, workers out sick would create an extra burden, he explained.

Extra:Help (really) required: Volusia places to eat, hotels struggle to hire personnel

“We have to keep our workers,” Davis claimed. “As workers go down, we have another disaster. We’re in crisis now receiving employees to arrive back again to work if some of them slide down temporarily with COVID, how does that have an affect on business enterprise?”

Visitors nevertheless arriving — for now

The opportunity for an additional COVID-similar tourism setback comes just as Volusia County is moving into the fall season, a slower time period more reliant on conference and conference small business, an spot that has been slower to rebound.

So far, there have been no cancellations on the slate of upcoming functions at the county-operate Ocean Centre, reported Tim Riddle, conference heart director.

The schedule involves the popular National Reptile Breeders Expo on Aug. 21 and 22. Slide bookings include things like the 10-working day Badcock Home furnishings Semi-Annual Seller Meeting in September and The Daytona Seaside News-Journal’s Tumble Property Demonstrate Oct. 22-24.

Even though employees at the county-run conference heart are now required to use masks, these pandemic protocols for party attendees are set by the organizer, Riddle claimed.

“It’s not a prerequisite,” he claimed. “I really don’t know in which we go from in this article and could that improve it definitely could.”

In the meantime, irrespective of the worrisome COVID surge, the guests hold arriving at several place motels.

“As far as any slowdown tied to the surge in instances, we’re nevertheless not viewing it,” mentioned Rob Burnetti, common manager of the 212-home Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores. “This past weekend was the to start with time we are starting to listen to about it far more from visitors.”

At the similar time, Burnetti said, the lodge was offered-out on Sunday, not usually a peak occupancy evening.

“From a desire standpoint, matters haven’t slowed very own anymore that they generally would,” he stated. “Looking in advance, it’s tricky to decipher what the effects may well be since in September and Oct we normally start to gradual down in any case. As dire as the information seems, we haven’t noticed it in our desire for August by means of October.”

At 1 Daytona, there have been no future summertime cancellations such as Labor Working day weekend and the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at The Daytona Marriott Autograph Selection hotel and the Fairfield Inn & Suites, reported Nancy Guran, director of income for the two accommodations.

“Everything is nonetheless hunting great for the remainder of the yr,” Guran stated.

The outlook also is optimistic at resorts owned and operated by Ormond Beach front-based Elite Hospitality Inc., stated Manoj Bhoola, president and CEO.