REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Beebe Healthcare workers working on the front lines to fight COVID-19 can stay at the Fairfield Inn and Suites for up to two weeks when they need to self-isolate.
"I had heard from a lot of people in the community, nurses and different healthcare workers that are on the front lines didn't want to be going home everyday in case they contracted the virus," says Christian Hudson of Hudson Management. "They didn't want to bring it around their loved ones, children, elderly parents."
Hudson created a 75% discounted social distancing package for healthcare workers. SecureNetMD, WasteMasters, Cyber Streets, Parsell Funeral Homes and other businesses and individuals in the community were quick to donate to cover the cost of the rooms, which work out to be $50 a night.
With the hotel's 94 rooms already limited to guests of essential businesses, Hudson says there is plenty of room for healthcare workers and first responders. Some guests from Beebe have already checked in and the goal is to start hosting front-line workers at other healthcare providers as well as first responders within the next few days.
Dima Yakour, a physician's wife who helped initiate this shelter, says it's important to help those on the front lines not only take care of their families, but also themselves.
"We've seen examples on TV and in other places where people have to sleep in their garage or some people went and put a tent in their backyard," says Yakour. "A lot of people really don't even have these options."
"It's our responsibility to take care of them when they're taking care of us," says SecureNetMD Founder Jack Berberian. "They get free breakfast, they get free WiFi and great accommodations here. They can still go to work if they need to, or they can shelter in place for two weeks at a time."
Hudson says housekeepers will wait at least 24 hours after checkout before entering a room and that CDC cleaning procedures are followed.
"We'll provide a bag of linens outside of the room, so that we don't even have to enter the room for the guest," says Hudson. "By law we still have to check on the guest once every 4 days."
Both healthcare workers who would like a room and those who wish to donate can call the Fairfield Inn and Suites at 302-645-7766.