All events by the Shangri-la hotel Colombo has been cancelled due to an employee testing positive for COVID-19 on 23 October , while precautionary measures according to health guidelines are also being taken by the Area PHIs. "Our colleague’s role does not require any direct guest-facing responsibilities," Shangri-la hotel confirmed in the statement. Contact tracing of all residents and guests of the hotel are also being done to identify if there have been any contacts of the Peliyagoda fish market cluster. The official media statement of the hotel is reproduced in full below. We were notified on 23 October 2020 that a member of our team has tested positive for COVID-19. As the health and wellbeing of our guests and colleagues is of topmost priority to us and in view of the evolving situation in Sri Lanka, we recently commenced proactive testing of our staff. The affected colleague was asymptomatic and was picked up as a result of the proactive testing. The team member is now receiving medical assistance in hospital and we wish our colleague a speedy recovery. Our colleague’s role does not require any direct guest-facing responsibilities. Contact-tracing is currently being conducted and as a precautionary measure, all colleagues who have recently had contact with the affected colleague will self-isolate at home until further notice. None of our colleagues in the hotel have exhibited any outward symptoms, such as fever, in recent weeks. The common areas and back of house areas of the hotel are also all undergoing another round of thorough sanitisation and disinfection. Since January 2020, the hotel has stepped up our precautionary measures in view of the rapidly developing COVID-19 situation globally and in Sri Lanka. This includes: Mandatory temperature screening and recording, wearing a face mask for all our colleagues, guests and vendors; All guests at point of check-in must complete a health and travel declaration form; Physical distancing protocols have also been implemented across all public areas of the hotel; Increased cleaning and sanitising frequency of guest rooms, hotel facilities and all public areas; Hand sanitisers are readily available in all public and back-of-house areas; Regular training and reminders for all staff to remain vigilant and to adopt good personal hygiene habits at all times; Our staff reach out to any guests who appear or claim to be unwell and help them seek medical assistance where necessary. We will remain vigilant and continue to act accordingly in the best interest of all our employees and guests. To learn more about our health and safety commitment, visit shangri-la.com/cares. For further media enquiries, please contact us at communications.slcb@shangri-la.com