InterContinental Hotels Group’s more than 300 rooms in London will be used to isolate homeless people from the virus in the Coronavirus outbreak.

With the government’s support, the mayor of London has block-booked the rooms for the next 12 weeks to help the homeless, who have difficult health conditions, including respiratory problems, considering the rest of the population. Karan Khanna, the UK and Ireland Managing Director of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), owners of the Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Crowne Plaza brands, said: “We are facing an unprecedented epidemic. People’s health and wellbeing should be our priority. We are delighted to bringing into use our hotels to contribute to the epidemic measure in London.”

The capital’s taxi drivers have also volunteered to help transfer people.