Keep Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch Coronavirus Free
Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
WHO and public health authorities around the world are taking action to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. However, long term success cannot be taken for granted. All sections of our society – including businesses and employers – must play a role if we are to stop the spread of this disease.
People may experience:
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Fever
- Pneumonia
- Difficulty breathing (severe cases)
Consult a doctor for medical advice
HOTLINE: CORONA VIRUS OUTBREAK 24-HOUR
HOTLINE NUMBER:
0800 029 999 General Information
1. Wash your hands frequently
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
2. Maintain social distancing
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
3. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
4. Practice respiratory hygiene
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately. Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
5. If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
6. Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider
Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in your area. They are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.
7. Overseas travellers
Protection measures for persons who are in or have recently visited (past 14 days) areas where COVID-19 is spreading
Follow the guidance outlined above.
Stay at home if you begin to feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and slight runny nose, until you recover. Why? Avoiding contact with others and visits to medical facilities will allow these facilities to operate more effectively and help protect you and others from possible COVID-19 and other viruses.
If you develop fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical advice promptly as this may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition. Call in advance and tell your provider of any recent travel or contact with travelers. Why? Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also help to prevent possible spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.
GETTING YOUR WORKPLACE READY IN CASE COVID-19 ARRIVES IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Develop a plan of what to do if someone becomes ill with suspected COVID-19 at one of your workplaces
The plan should cover putting the ill person in a room or area where they are isolated from others in the workplace, limiting the number of people who have contact with the sick person and contacting the local health authorities.
Consider how to identify persons who may be at risk, and support them, without inviting stigma and discrimination into your workplace. This could include persons who have recently travelled to an area reporting cases, or other personnel who have conditions that put them at higher risk of serious illness (e.g. diabetes, heart and lung disease, older age).
Promote regular teleworking across your organization. If there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community, the health authorities may advise people to avoid public transport and crowded places. Teleworking will help your business keep operating while your employees stay safe.
Develop a contingency and business continuity plan for an outbreak in the communities where your business operates
The plan will help prepare your organisation for the possibility of an outbreak of COVID-19 in its workplaces or community. It may also be valid for other health emergencies
The plan should address how to keep your business running even if a significant number of employees, contractors and suppliers cannot come to your place of business – either due to local restrictions on travel or because they are ill.
Communicate to your employees and contractors about the plan and make sure they are aware of what they need to do – or not do – under the plan. Emphasize key points such as the importance of staying away from work even if they have only mild symptoms or have had to take simple medications, which may mask the symptoms.
Meeting and Workplace Guideline
1. Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace
Employers should start doing these things now, even if COVID-19 has not arrived in the communities where they operate. They can already reduce working days lost due to illness and stop or slow the spread of COVID-19 if it arrives at one of your workplaces.
2. Make sure your workplaces are clean and hygienic. Surfaces (e.g. desks and tables) and objects (e.g. telephones, keyboards) need to be wiped with disinfectant regularly
3. Promote regular and thorough hand-washing by employees, contractors and customer. Put sanitizing hand rub dispensers in prominent places around the workplace. Make sure these dispensers are regularly refilled
4. Display posters promoting hand-washing.
5. Make sure that staff, contractors and customers have access to places where they can wash their hands with soap and water
6. Promote good respiratory hygiene in the workplace
7. Ensure that face masks1 and / or paper tissues are available at your workplaces, for those who develop a runny nose or cough at work, along with closed bins for hygienically disposing of them
8. Brief your employees, contractors and customers that if COVID-19 starts spreading in your community anyone with even a mild cough or low-grade fever (37.3 C or more) needs to stay at home. 1How to manage COVID-19 risk when organising meetings & events (Less than 50 persons)
Organizers of meetings and events need to think about the potential risk from COVID-19 because:
1. There is a risk that people attending your meeting or event might be unwittingly bringing the COVID-19 virus to the meeting. Others might be unknowingly exposed to COVID-19.
2. While COVID-19 is a mild disease for most people, it can make some very ill. Around 1 in every 5 people who catch COVID-19 needs hospital treatment.
Key considerations to prevent or reduce COVID-19 risks
BEFORE THE MEETING OR EVENT
1. Develop and agree a preparedness plan to prevent infection at your meeting or event.
2. Consider whether a face-to-face meeting or event is needed. Could it be replaced by a teleconference or online event?
3. Could the meeting or event be scaled down so that fewer people attend?
4. Ensure and verify information and communication channels in advance with key partners such as public health and health care authorities.
5. Pre-order sufficient supplies and materials, including tissues and hand sanitizer for all participants. Have surgical masks available to offer anyone who develops respiratory symptoms.
6. Actively monitor where COVID-19 is circulating. Advise participants in advance that if they have any symptoms or feel unwell, they should not attend.
7. Make sure all organizers, participants, caterers and visitors at the event provide contact details: mobile telephone number, email and address where they are staying. State clearly that their details will be shared with local public health authorities if any participant becomes ill with a suspected infectious disease. If they will not agree to this they cannot attend the event or meeting.
8. Identify a room or area where someone who is feeling unwell or has symptoms can be safely isolated
9. Have a plan for how they can be safely transferred from there to a health facility.10. Know what to do if a meeting participant, staff member or service provider tests positive for COVID-19 during or just after the meeting
10. Develop and agree a response plan in case someone at the meeting becomes ill with symptoms of COVID-19 (dry cough, fever, malaise).
This plan should include at least:
DURING THE MEETING OR EVENT
1. Provide information or a briefing, preferably both orally and in writing, on COVID-19 and the measures that organizers are taking to make this event safe for participants.
2. Build trust. For example, as an icebreaker, practice ways to say hello without touching.
3. Encourage regular hand-washing or use of an alcohol rub by all participants at the meeting or event
4. Encourage participants to cover their face with the bend of their elbow or a tissue if they cough or sneeze. Supply tissues and closed bins to dispose of them in.
5. Provide contact details or a health hotline number that participants can call for advice or to give information.
6. Display dispensers of alcohol-based hand rub prominently around the venue.
7. If there is space, arrange seats so that participants are at least one meter apart.
8. Open windows and doors whenever possible to make sure the venue is well ventilated
9. If anyone who starts to feel unwell, follow your preparedness plan or call your hotline.
10. Depending on the situation in your area, or recent travel of the participant, place the person in the isolation room. Offer the person a mask so they can get home safely, if appropriate, or to a designated assessment facility
11. Thank all participants for their cooperation with the provisions in place.
AFTER THE MEETING
1. Retain the names and contact details of all participants for at least one month. This will help public health authorities trace people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 if one or more participants become ill shortly after the event.
2. If someone at the meeting or event was isolated as a suspected COVID-19 case, the organizer should let all participants know this. They should be advised tomonitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days and take their temperature twice a day.
3. If they develop even a mild cough or low-grade fever (i.e. a temperature of 37.3 C or more) they should stay at home and self-isolate. This means avoiding close contact (1 meter or nearer) with other people, including family members. They should also telephone their healthcare provider or the local public health department, giving them details of their recent travel and symptoms.
4. Thank all the participants for their cooperation with the provisions in place.
Remember: Now is the time to prepare for COVID-19. Simple precautions and planning can make a big difference. Action now will help protect your employees and your business.
NMB Communications
Latest posts by NMB Communications (see all)
- Join The Celebration - 26 February 2025
- 6 Municipal Employees Supended - 15 January 2025
- Fishwater Flats Wastewater Treatment Plant Work Progressing Well - 10 January 2025
- Kliprand Protest Brings Action - 7 January 2025
- Mayor Tells Us Why We Had a Successful Festive Season in Nelson Mandela Bay - 6 January 2025
