In response to COVID-19 affecting many services on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, the 11th Force Support Squadron's Presidential Inn has changed the way it does business. To ensure the health and safety of the guests and staff, the inn's employees are now wearing gloves and face masks and disinfecting surfaces frequently, and accepting reservations only for essential personnel and those on official travel.
"[Our] mission is to provide quality lodging facilities and services, to maintain mission readiness and quality of life, while maintaining the safety of our guests and employees," said Megan Gonzalez, an assistant lodging manager with the 11th Force Support Squadron.
To ensure the guests' safety and quality of life, the lodging team has devoted a floor of the temporary lodging facility to quarantine guests upon their arrival.
"Due to quarantine, we do not enter those guest rooms while they are staying with us," said Rebecca Walker, a Presidential Inn housekeeper. "Instead, the guests request any items they need, and we leave them in a bag outside of their door and remove their trash and towels, which they also leave in bags outside of their door."
Some supplies, such as hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and face masks, are on backorder from vendors. However, lodging personnel have not let that stop them from acquiring the items they need.
"We have had to resort to locating supplies at local stores, and while we are not always successful, we have been able to obtain limited amounts of supplies for our staff to utilize," Gonzalez said..
Supplies have also been donated from the community, as well as some assistance from the base fitness center and dining facility.
"Luckily, people have donated masks to us, and we have been able to wash and reuse them instead of throwing them away," Walker said.
(Air Force Senior Airman Kaylea Berry is assigned to the 11th Wing.)