Hundreds of tourists in Tenerife hotel lockdown over coronavirus

MADRID - A four-star hotel in Spain's Canary Islands was put on lockdown yesterday, its guests barred from leaving, and staff at reception wore face masks after a coronavirus case was identified there, a hotel guest said.

"We're told we're in quarantine due to an Italian doctor testing for the coronavirus. The hotel seems to be acting normally, except that we cannot go out," Mr Christopher Betts said over the phone from his room at the hotel.

"There are police cars stationed at all entrances."

Late on Monday, Spanish health authorities had said an Italian doctor in Tenerife on holiday had tested positive for the virus.

The man is now in isolation in hospital.

He is the third case identified in Spain after a German tourist in La Gomera, another Canary Island, and a British man in Mallorca.

Spanish health authorities said they would test hotel guests and staff members. "We are checking people who had contact with the patient, including those in the hotel," a spokesman for the Canary Island's Health Department said.

Mr Betts, a British national, said they had been allowed to have breakfast in the hotel restaurant.

"We were originally told to go back to our rooms after breakfast, but we haven't done so, and everyone else seems to be talking around reception as normal. But unfortunately, no one has any more information as yet, they're all waiting for the health authorities."

He said he had not been tested for the virus yet but had missed his flight home.

Hotel employees were wearing masks, but none were provided to the guests, Mr Betts added.

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A video he provided from inside the hotel showed people carrying on normally, except for the masks.

Other staff members were waiting outside in the carpark, unable to get into the hotel, the footage shows.

The H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotelhas a capacity for hundreds of guests, several restaurants and several swimming pools, and is located 50m from the beach.

On its Facebook page, the hotel said it was planning a carnival party tomorrow evening.

Tens of thousands are expected in the Canary Islands this week for carnival festivities.

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