The numbers of confirmed Covid Cases at the Mclays Guesthouse in Glasgow have tripled to three since Friday.
Yet, Mears has still not committed to testing people inside the hotel for Covid 19, leading to fears that all residents and staff could eventually catch the virus if something proactive is not done soon.
People want to be tested and relocated ASAP to clean, unshared accommodation but Mears has not said anything about this. People are constantly frightened of catching the virus in the hotel.
The information about the increase in the confirmed cases was given by Mears to third sector organisations at 10 am on Saturday 3 October 2020, via email, two hours after an open letter from residents was released on our website. However, apparently intent on maintaining a PR exercise with the third sector, Mears failed to tell the people directly affected – the residents at Mclays – about the tripling of Covid cases at the hotel.
Some residents say they have been told they can leave their rooms, but some of the hotel staff then stopped them leaving the hotel, though some people have ventured outside.
The people this charity spoke to say they feel they are being kept deliberately in the dark but are frightened to speak out in case it affects their case.
“Mears can be quite threatening when an asylum seeker wants to speak his mind”, said one asylum seeker who used to stay in Mclays.
All people want is to be tested and moved to private unshared accommodation which would allow them the ability to control the hygiene of their accommodation and not be frightened of catching a virus through communal hotel living arrangements. Mears should never have crowded people into hotels and after so much tragedy, this is the result. The Scottish Government should be concerned about the public health implications of this failure to contain the virus and do something to help people in Mclays to be tested and then leave.
Robina Qureshi