Cristiano Ronaldo's reps deny reports his hotels turning into coronavirus hospitals: 'We will remain a hotel'
A Portuguese luxury hotel owned by Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has denied reports that it will be temporarily converted into a hospital that will be used to treat coronavirus patients in the country.
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) previously reported that the superstar soccer player would be turning two of his properties, a four-star hotel in his home island of Madeira, and another in the Portuguese capital Lisbon, into facilities to treat those with COVID-19 free of cost.
The move was supposedly done in a bid to help the country, which currently has close to 250 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.
But that story has since been refuted by Ronaldo's Lisbon hotel, with a spokesperson for the establishment telling Dutch outlet RTL Nieuws that they would not be converted into a hospital and carry on functioning as usual.
"We are a hotel. We are not going to be a hospital," the spokesperson said. "It is a day like everyone else, we are and will remain a hotel. We are being phoned by the press. I wish you a nice day."
Ronaldo had previously taken to social media to speak about the outbreak and urged everyone to follow the recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO).
"The world is going through a difficult time and demands the utmost care and attention from everyone," he wrote. "Today I am not speaking to you as a footballer, but as a son, as a father, as a human being aware of the latest events that are affecting the world."
"It is important that we follow the recommendations of the WHO (World Health Organization) and those of governments on how to manage this situation. Protecting human lives is above any other interest. I want to send all my support to all those who have lost a loved one."
He also spoke about his teammate, Daniele Rugani, who tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week. Ronaldo, 35, has been in quarantine since last week after Rugani's diagnosis but has tested negative himself.
More than 169,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide in 148 countries, resulting in mass gathering events, including sports, screeching to a halt.