Home Blog COVID-19 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

03/18/2020

In light of the ever-progressing COVID-19, Midgett Realty’s first concern and priority is the safety of both our team and our guests. As it continues to impact the daily lives across the United States and the globe, we want to be completely transparent about our practices and policies, as well as the advisories provided by our state and county officials, which are located at the bottom of the page or you can follow them here.

We understand that many folks have questions about their upcoming vacations. Effective March 17th at 2pm, our county officials restricted visitor access to Dare County based on the President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America, which is essentially a 15-day “slow the spread” best practices outline. In 15 days, the Federal Government will reassess the situation and we, as a country, will go from there.

We are doing what we can by following the lead of our government officials. We are currently dealing with the 15-day window and the reservations that fall within it, that we know will be impacted by the current travel restrictions for Dare County. While we understand that folks with confirmed reservations that don’t fall within this window are frustrated and want answers for planning and peace of mind, please understand that we can’t give answers that we don’t have. The travel restriction is the main variable that determines the outlook of your vacation, and as of right now, after the 15-day window, that variable becomes an unknown.

If you are a guest who falls within this 15-day window and your reservation with Midgett Realty will be impacted, one of our Reservations Agents will be contacting you directly over the next few days to walk you through your next steps. It is important to note that we will be contacting the leaseholder using the phone number that we have on file for them.

Again, this is a truly unprecedented event. This is an event that has changed daily. All of our lives have changed drastically in just a matter of days, and we, like you, are adjusting and adapting to these new normals, and we are going through this together.

Hatteras Island has the most amazing guests, and we want to remain positive and lift each other up in the hopes that this virus is gone sooner rather than later, and we can all continue on with our daily lives the best we can, hopefully on the beaches of Hatteras Island with a drink in hand.

Sincerely,
The Midgett Realty Team

 

CURRENT AND NEW RESERVATIONS
We are still accepting new reservations for the 2020 rental season. Please be aware that a travel advisory is currently in effect for all of Dare County and because of the ever-changing situation, we are unaware when normal travel will resume. Our check-in process already eliminates the need for personal contact as the majority of our homes offer keyless entry, preventing the need for an office visit once travel restrictions to Dare County are lifted.

CANCELLATIONS
If your reservation is to be impacted by the current travel restrictions for Dare County, we will be contacting you via the email address and/or phone number that we have on file for the leaseholder.

If your reservation will not definitively be impacted by the current travel restrictions for Dare County and you are considering cancelling your existing reservation and purchased travel insurance, you may want to contact your provider to see if your particular situation may be covered.

If you find that you need to cancel your reservation, please first notify us in writing, by emailing us at vacations@midgettrealty.com. Once we receive your cancellation submission in writing, we will make every effort to re-rent the property. If re-rented, you will receive a refund less any difference in rate paid by the new reservation, all applicable taxes and fee as well as the travel insurance premium, if applicable. Once your cancellation notice has been submitted, your next step is to contact your travel insurance provider, if applicable, to begin the steps of filing your claim.

STANDARD TRAVEL PROTECTION:
Play Travel Protection
Claims, Policy and Coverage questions:
– Within U.S./Canada: (833) 610-0736, More Information
– Outside U.S./Canada: (843) 494-5909, More Information

CLEANING PROCEDURES
We are closely monitoring updated advisories and protocols set forth by the CDC, WHO, as well as our state and county officials. With the enhancements provided by adding keyless entry to our check-in process a couple of years back, we immediately began dedicating more employees to the field, creating a superior housekeeping team, abiding by the highest industry standards, using CDC and EPA-approved chemicals and sanitizers between each guest. With the new advisories in place, we are now utilizing a CDC-recommended two-step process that includes, first, our normal rigorous departure cleaning process, followed by a final top-to-bottom disinfection process that targets high-exposure locations.

OUR TEAM
While we never encourage a team member to report to work if they are ill, in light of the new advisories laid out by health officials, we have added to our policy that no employee should report if they are presenting symptoms identified with COVID-19. Additionally, we have issued hand-sanitizer to each of our offices, as well as the check-in counter, and encourage all employees to follow recommended hand-washing procedures as laid out by our health officials and leaders.

SOCIAL DISTANCING AND LIMITED OFFICE VISITS
As we each practice “social distancing” in response to COVID-19, our first priority remains the safety of the Midgett Realty team, homeowners and guests, as well as our fellow islanders. While our offices still remain staffed and we continue operations under new norms, we are asking that all non-essential visits by guests, homeowners, visitors and vendors be restricted unless absolutely necessary and you contact our team by phone or email to schedule an appointment if needed.

HELP “FLATTEN THE CURVE”
We are asking of our guests the same that we are asking of our team and of ourselves: if you are sick or showing symptoms identified with COVID-19, please follow the advisories set forth by health officials on every level and stay home, self-quarantine and seek medical treatment if necessary. Our area has limited medical facilities that do not have the staff or supplies to be able to sustain the influx of illness.

STAY INFORMED
When traveling it is important to stay informed of local advisories, policies and procedures. We will continue to post all relevant information as received below.

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #1: March 16th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #2: March 17th (Notice of travel restriction for visitors)

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #3: March 17th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #4: March 17th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #5: March 18th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #6: March 18th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #7: March 19th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #8: March 19th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #9: March 20th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #10: March 20th (Notice of travel restriction for non-resident property owners)

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #11: March 21st

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #12: March 22nd

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #13: March 23rd

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #14: March 24th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #15: March 25th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #16, March 25th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #17, March 26th

Dare County, COVID-19 Bulletin #18, March 27th (Notice of “Stay Home – Stay Healthy declaration)