In the wake of opening up of more offices and workplaces following lockdown relaxations, the Union Health Ministry has issued a set of guidelines detailing Do’s and Don’ts on preventive and response measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 in workplace settings.
As per the guidelines, there is no need to close the entire office building and stall work in other areas of the office. Work can be resumed after disinfection as per laid down protocol if there are one or two cases of coronavirus. The disinfection procedure will be limited to areas visited by the patient in the past 48 hours.
The Ministry said that if there is a larger outbreak, the entire building will have to be sealed for 48 hours for thorough disinfection. All the staff will work from home till the building is adequately disinfected and is declared fit for re-occupation.
“If any individual is found to be suffering from symptoms suggestive of Covid-19, it must be immediately reported to the concerned central or state health authorities as well as on the helpline number 1075,” as per the guidelines.
“Any staff requesting home quarantine based on the containment zone activities in their residential areas should be permitted to work from home” it said.
“A risk assessment will be undertaken by the designated public health authority (district RRT/treating physician) and accordingly further advice shall be made regarding management of case, his/her contacts and need for disinfection,” said the Health Ministry.
It said, “The necessary actions for contact tracing and disinfection of workplace will start once the report of the patient is received as positive. The report will be expedited for this purpose.”
Simple public health measures like respiratory etiquettes, physical distancing of at least one meter, mandatory use of face covers or masks and practice frequent hand washing for at least 40 to 60 seconds even when hands are not visibly dirty and use of alcohol based hand sanitizers for at least 20 seconds are the mandatory steps that the staff has to be followed to keep the virus at bay.