Guide for Organisations
to follow under
COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19, already a pandemic, is spreading rapidly taking the world by surprise, causing a great deal of uncertainty for the next phase of the disease as well as for the global economy. Epidemiologists suggest that the virus is highly transmissible and can cause nationally incapacitating epidemics once transmission within the community is established. It has been analysed that the below three scenarios could emerge in the coming weeks:
(Note: This 'Guide has been compiled by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) from best practices adopted by corporates across the globe and are intended to help reduce the impact of COVID-19 outbreak in the country on businesses. Employers and workers may use this planning guidance to help prepare their workplaces for prevention of infection as well as for enhancing their productivity through workplace flexibility and workforce preparedness.)
Further, the pandemic will impact all types of industries and organisations around the globe. In India too, with the increasing rate of infections, it is expected that all sectors would experience some impact.
“Addressing the humanitarian
challenge should be our priority
at all work sites”
l Absenteeism: resulting from people avoiding work in the fear of being exposed to the virus, people falling sick or needed to take care of someone who is sick
In order to minimize the impact on our businesses, workers, customers, and the public, we would need to plan and act now. Some of the situations that we would need to tackle are:
l Interrupted supply/delivery: Disruptions in supply chain and distribution are likely, especially in case of inputs sourced from geographies that have been impacted by the outbreak
Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Plan for Businesses
l Develop a plan considering and addressing specific level of risk associated with the worksites and job- tasks that workers perform at sites, with minimal impact on productivity or engagement
l Prepare and test Contingency and Business Continuity plans to address social distancing requirements, potential absenteeism, interrupted supply/delivery, change in demand of products/services
l Change in patterns of commerce: While demand for certain products and services to help deal with the outbreak would go up, consumption of other items or services may reduce as people attempt to change behavior to avoid acquiring the infection
Hence, it is crucial that we have our response strategies in place. Organisations would need to keep the workplaces prepared for infection prevention and control as well as ensure the health and safety of our employees. This needs thoughtful, people-first approach.
The organisations and employers may like to consider the following while planning for their response to the pandemic:
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l Define your communication strategy- communicate with employees frequently and with the right specificity
l Prepare temporary succession plans for key executive positions and critical roles in the business
l Analyse if there is any high-risk work or any paper-based processes or processes that cannot be easily moved online and need a separate work plan
Infection Prevention at Workplace
l Promote regular and thorough hand-washing by employees, contractors and customers. Place sanitising hand rub dispensers (alcohol-based) in prominent places around the workplace and ensure adequate hygiene supplies are available for everyone
l Encourage social distancing by providing flexible worksites (e.g., telecommuting-working from home) and flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts)
l Install high-efficiency air filters and increase ventilation rates in the work environment
l Educate employees about COVID-19 symptoms and prevention and when to get tested for the disease (Refer to the GoI information on when to get tested- Annexure A)
l Encourage employees to inform and stay at home if sick or if they are a caregiver to someone suffering from a respiratory infection (Refer GoI's guidelines for home quarantine- Annexure-4)
l Adopt a screening checklist for all the employees (one-time), customers and visitors at the entry point of the organisation (Refer the FICCI Checklist for Screening- Annexure-6)
l Provide masks to frontline employees dealing with large number of people and train them to not touch their mouth, eyes and nose without washing their hands (Refer to the GoI Guidelines on use of masks by public- Annexure-5)
l Create awareness and train employees on essential personal and respiratory hygiene, through graphic posters, videos and e-learning modules (Refer the FICCI handout for COVID-19 infection prevention and control- Annexure-1 and GoI's Corona Do's and Don't's- Annexure-2)
l Limit local, domestic and international travel requirements for employees and discontinue non-
Workforce Flexibilities and Protection
l Step-up housekeeping services, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces, equipment, and other elements of the work environment
l For work that cannot be made remote, evaluate what safeguards can be put in place, such as revised cleaning protocols or personal protective equipment
l Identify and designate an area within the workplace to act as an isolation room in case someone is found infected at the site. Also develop protocols to isolate a potentially infected individual and train select staff to follow these protocols (Refer to the National and State Helpline numbers for reporting any symptoms of COVID-19- Annexure-3)
l Use videoconferencing for meetings when possible; when not possible, hold meetings in well- ventilated spaces. Consider postponing large meetings or gatherings (Refer GoI advisory for mass gatherings- Annexure-8)
l Plan for contingent financial support and protection that the company or employees may require l Work with the insurance companies providing employee health benefits and health agencies to
provide information about medical care for the outbreak
essential travel to locations with ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks. Employers should actively monitor the latest travel guidelines from the Government of India (Refer to the GoI's Consolidated Travel Advisory for COVID-19- Annexure-7)
Essentials for Working Remotely
l Create a short-term as well as long-term plan for working remotely, in case the situation of pandemic is prolonged
In a pandemic, remote work cannot be considered a privilege but a standard operating mode for the businesses. Hence, it is important to establish that there is a difference between being at home during work hours, and working remotely in a way that maintains (or enhances) business operations. The employers can take below steps to ensure that working remotely does not reduce their productivity:
l Establish a cross-functional team to develop a coordinated response effort and to help guide the employees on their work plan. The cross-functional team should be trained and empowered to plan and oversee the work being undertaken remotely
l Develop clear protocols and obligations for employees who are at risk, who are not at risk but are working remotely as well as for all employees to return to work when situation is safe
l Develop a remote-working policy for your organisation with clear communication channels
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l 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 (one meter or nearer) with other people, including family members, and inform the employer as well as a nearby healthcare provider
] Doodle- create polls, invite others to participate in them and get their feedback https://doodle.com/en_GB/calendar-app
In case any employee needs to undertake an essential travel for business or personal reasons, the employer may assist in the following manner:
l A combination of technologies- (e.g., remote access, cyber), practices and policies, safeguards, and training- should be utilized to support a wide remote-work deployment
l Provide essential equipment for your employees to be able to work effectively from home
] Microsoft Teams- for sharing documents, text and video chats with colleagues and access to Office 365 https://teams.microsoft.com/downloads
] Slack- most commonly used for messaging, voice and video calls, sharing and editing documents https://slack.com/intl/en-in/
Safety Plan for Essential Business Travel
] Zoom- allows screen-sharing and cross-platform instant messaging https://zoom.us/
] G-Suite apps- Google's apps like Docs, Hangout and Drive for coordinating work and sharing files https://gsuite.google.com/intl/en_in/
l All persons travelling should be briefed by a qualified healthcare professional on the precautions needed including regular hand-washing
] Basecamp3- project management app has message boards, to-do lists, schedules, docs, file storage, real-time group chat, and automatic check-in questions https://basecamp.com/via
] Noisli- drowns out noises and helps you to concentrate https://www.noisli.com/
Some apps to make remote working easier:
l Create a platform for employees to access up-to-date information on the outbreak, preventive practices and travel advisories. Consider a dedicated hotline for inquiries from employees
l Employees who have returned from recent travel to affected region should monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days and take their temperature twice a day
l Educate employees on having a dedicated working area, maintaining regular communication with their managers as well as following personal and respiratory hygiene for their home-offices
] Harvest- track time and log expenses as well as manage invoices https://www.getharvest.com/
www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/
ge ng-workplace-ready-for-COVID-19.pdf?sfvrsn=359a81e7_6 Reference Material:
Ge ng your workplace ready for COVID-19
Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID 19 h ps://www.osha.gov/Publica ons/OSHA3990.pdf
Prac cal workforce strategies that put your people first
h ps://www2.deloi e.com/global/en/pages/about-deloi e/ar cles/
prac cal-workforce-strategies-that-put-your-people-first.html Occupa onal Safety and Health Administra on
h ps://www.mohfw.gov.in/
www.osha.gov/SLTC/COVID-19/
Website of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India
Resources for Businesses and Employers
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organiza ons/
businesses-employers.html
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t put your people
Coronavirus COVID - 19: Facts and Insights
www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Business%20Functions/
Risk/Our%20Insights/COVID%2019%20Implications%20for%20 business/COVID%2019%20March%209/COVID-19-Facts-and- Insights-March-9-2020-v2.ashx
List of Annexures
Annexure 2:
FICCI COVID-19 Prevention and Infection Control Annexure 3:
GoI Advisory for Dos and Donts Annexure 4:
CoronaVirus Helpline Numbers When to get tested for COVID-19
Annexure 5:
Annexure 6:
GoI Guidelines for Use of Mask by Public Annexure 7:
FICCI Screening Checklist for COVID-19 Annexure 1:
Annexure 8:
GoI Guidelines for home quarantine
Annexure 11:
Annexure 9:
Annexure 10:
GoI Advisory for mass gathering
GoI Advisory for Social Distancing GoI Consolidated Travel Advisory
GoI COVID-19 Travel Advisory-Update
h ps://hbr.org/2020/02/lead-your-business-through-the-coronavirus- crisis
Lead Your Business Through the Coronavirus Crisis
Protect yourself and others!
WHEN TO GET TESTED FOR COVID-19?
l You are not required to get tested for COVID-19 if you do not have any symptoms (Cough, fever or difficulty in breathing)
l The helpline service will note down your contact details and contact you with the testing protocols of COVID-19
l If you have any of the above symptoms and have travelled to any of the COVID-19 affected countries including Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain, Germany, UAE etc or you are a contact of a laboratory confirmed positive case immediately call the State Helpline Number or Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India's 24x7 helpline 011-2397 8046
l If you qualify as a case for testing as per the protocol, you will be tested at a Government approved lab only.
l List of Government approved labs is available at https://www.icmr.nic.in/
l Currently, no private hospital/private laboratory is authorized to test for COVID-19
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COVID-19, the novel coronavirus outbreak, has spread to more than 70 countries, infecting nearly 1 Lakh people and has resurfaced in India on March 2nd. It is primarily spread between people via respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes.
Maintaining high standards of personal hygiene and infection control is of utmost importance for all. If you are in an area where there is an outbreak of COVID-19 you need to take the risk of infection seriously.
Protect yourself and others!
Follow these Do's and Don'ts
Practice frequent hand washing. Wash hands with soap and water or use alcohol based hand rub. Wash hands even if they are visibly clean
Cover your nose and mouth with
handkerchief/tissue while sneezing and coughing
Throw used tissues into closed bins immediately after use
See a doctor if you feel unwell (fever, difficult breathing and cough). While visiting doctor wear a mask/cloth to cover your mouth and nose
If you have these signs/symptoms please call State helpline number or Ministry of Health &
Family Welfare’s 24X7 helpline at 011-23978046
Avoid
participating in large gatherings
Have a close contact with anyone, if you’re experiencing cough and fever
Touch your eyes,
nose and mouth Spit in public
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Central Helpline Number for corona-virus: +91-11-23978043
Helpline Numbers of States & Union Territories (Uts)
8 Haryana 8558893911
4 Bihar 104
7 Gujarat 104
16 Meghalaya 108
11 Karnataka 104
S. No Name of the State Helpline Nos.
2 Arunachal Pradesh 9436055743
5 Chhattisgarh 104
1 Andhra Pradesh 0866-2410978
3 Assam 6913347770
6 Goa 104
9 Himachal Pradesh 104
10 Jharkhand 104
12 Kerala 0471-2552056
13 Madhya Pradesh 0755-2527177
14 Maharashtra 020-26127394
15 Manipur 3852411668
17 Mizoram 102
18 Nagaland 7005539653
19 Odisha 9439994859
27 Uttar Pradesh 18001805145
1 Andaman and Nicobar Islands 3192-232102
4 Delhi 011-22307145
22 Sikkim 104
25 Tripura 0381-2315879
20 Punjab 104
5 Jammu & Kashmir 01912520982, 0194-2440283
21 Rajasthan 0141-2225624
23 Tamil Nadu 044-29510500
24 Telangana 104
26 Uttarakhand 104
28 West Bengal 3323412600
S. No Name of Union Territory (UT) Helpline Nos.
2 Chandigarh 9779558282
3 Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 104
l Needs to stay away from elderly people, pregnant women, children and persons with co- morbidities within the household.
This intervention will be limited to the initial phase of India reporting only (i) travel related cases and (ii) focal clusters arising from a travel related/unrelated case where cluster containment strategy is adopted (iii) Persons coming from COVID-19 affected areas where local and community transmission is evident.
Definition of contact
A contact in the context of COVID-19 is:
l A person living in the same household as a COVID-19 case; • A person having had direct physical contact with a COVID-19 case or his/her infectious secretions without recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) or with a possible breach of PPE • A person who was in a closed environment or had face to face contact with a COVID-19 case at a distance of within1metre including air travel;
A contact is defined as a healthy person that has been in such association with an infected person or a contaminated environment as to have exposed and is therefore at a higher risk of developing disease.
Detection of a travel related/unrelated suspect case of novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID19) will be followed by rapid isolation of such cases in designated health facilities and line listing of all contacts of such cases.Home quarantine is applicable to all such contacts of a suspect or confirmed case of COVID-19.
The epidemiological link may have occurred within a 14-day period before the onset of illness in the case under consideration.
Instructions for contacts being home quarantined The home quarantined person should:
Scope
Guidelines for home quarantine
Stay in a well-ventilated single-room preferably with an attached/separate toilet. If another family member needs to stay in the same room, it’s advisable to maintain a distance of at least 1 meter between the two.
Government of India Ministry of
Health & Family Welfare Directorate General of Health Services (EMR
Division)
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a) The home quarantine period is for 14 days from contact with a confirmed case or earlier if a suspect case (of whom the index person is a contact) turns out negative on laboratory testing
l Restrict his/her movement within the house.
l Wash hand as often thoroughly with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizer
l Masks used by patients / care givers/ close contacts during home care should be disinfected using ordinary bleach solution (5%) or sodium hypochlorite solution (1%) and then disposed of either by burning or deep burial.
l Used mask should be considered as potentially infected.
l If symptoms appear (cough/fever/difficulty in breathing), he/she should immediately inform the nearest health centre or call 011-23978046.
l Only an assigned family member should be tasked with taking care of the such person l Avoid shaking the soiled linen or direct contact with skin
l Avoid sharing household items e.g. dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other items with other people at home.
l Use disposable gloves when cleaning the surfaces or handling soiled linen l Wash hands after removing gloves
l Visitors should not be allowed
l Under no circumstances attend any social/religious gathering e.g. wedding, condolences, etc.
l In case the person being quarantined becomes symptomatic, all his close contacts will be home quarantined (for 14 days) and followed up for an additional 14days or till the report of such case turns out negative on lab testing
Environmental sanitation
a) Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in the quarantined person’s room (e.g. bed frames, tables etc.) daily with 1%Sodium Hypochlorite Solution. b) Clean and disinfect toilet surfaces daily with regular household bleach solution/phenolic disinfectants c) Clean the clothes and other linen used by the person separately using common household detergent and dry.
Duration of home quarantine
He should also follow the under mentioned public health measures at all times:
Instructions for the family members of persons being home quarantined
l Wear a surgical mask at all the time. The mask should be changed every 6-8 hours and disposed off. Disposable masks are never to be reused.
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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Directorate General of Health Services (Emergency Medical Relief)
Guidelines on use of masks by public
1. Introduction
4. Use of masks by general public
Any such new disease invariably related to cough leads to suggestions from various quarters, especially in social media, to use mask by general public to prevent the disease.
A new disease named novel coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged in early December 2019 in China and has now spread to over 90 countries. As on 9th March 2020, India has reported 42 cases mostly among those who had travelled from affected countries. It causes a minor illness in majority of patients with symptoms of fever and or cough. A small proportion of such persons may progress to severe disease with difficulty in breathing.
2. Purpose of this document
It is spread by an infected person with COVID coughing and the droplets from his cough infecting others in close vicinity (less than 1 metre).
The purpose of this document is to give correct evidence based information to general public on use of mask.
Medical masks of different size and shapes are available in the market. The common ones are flat pleated masks of woven fabric which covers the nose and mouth and affixed behind the head with straps/ elastic fasteners. There are also conical or duck bill shaped masks with valves (or without valves) that fit in the contour of face over the nose and mouth, but are costlier.
3. Medical masks
4.1. Persons having no symptoms are not to use mask
Medical masks should not be used by healthy persons who are not having any symptoms because it create a false sense of security that can lead to neglecting other essential measures such as washing of hands.
Novel Corornavirus Disease (COVID-19)
Unfold the pleats; make sure that they are facing down.
In such situation, more effective steps are:
i. Wash hands frequently with soap and water for 40 seconds. An alcohol based hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol must be used for 20 seconds. If hands are dirty or soiled, do not use alcohol based hand sanitizer, but wash hands preferably with soap and water.
v. Monitor your body temperature.
4.2.1. When a person develops cough or fever.
4.2.4. Close family contacts of such suspect/confirmed cases undergoing home care should also use Triple layer medical mask.
ii. While coughing or sneezing cover nose and mouth with handkerchief, paper tissue. If handkerchief or tissue paper is not available cough into the flexed elbow. Dispose of tissue immediately after use and wash hands.
4.3. Duration for which a medical mask will remain effective
A medical mask, if properly worn, will be effective for 8 hours. If it gets wet in between, it needs to be changed immediately.
Place over nose, mouth and chin.
Fit flexible nose piece (a metallic strip that can easily be located) over nosebridge.
4.4. Correct procedure of wearing triple layer mask
iv. Stay at least a metre away from those coughing or sneezing.
Use of medical three layer masks when ill, will prevent your infection from spreading to others.
However you also need to wash your hands frequently to avoid spreading infection to others.
Further, there is no scientific evidence to show health benefit of using masks for non-sick persons in the community. In fact erroneous use of masks or continuous use of a disposable mask for longer than 6 hours or repeated use of same mask may actually increase risk of getting an infection. It also incurs unnecessary cost.
iii. Refrain from touching face, mouth, nose and eyes.
4.2. When and who should use medical masks (apart from health care worker).
4.2.2. While visiting a healthcare facility.
4.2.3. When you are caring for an ill person.
While wearing a medical mask, the steps given below needs to be followed. If you do not follow them, you may get infected from the mask itself. These steps are:
Secure with tie strings (upper string to be tied on top of head above the ears – lower string at the back of the neck.)
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Ensure there are no gaps on either side of the mask, adjust to fit.
Do not let the mask hanging from the neck.
While in use, avoid touching the mask.
To remove mask first untie the string below and then the string above and handle the mask using the upper strings.
4.5. Disposal of used masks
Used mask should be considered as potentially infected. Masks used by patients / care givers/ close contacts during home care should be disinfected using ordinary bleach solution (5%) or sodium hypochlorite solution (1%) and then disposed of either by burning or deep burial.
While removing the mask great care must be taken not to touch the potentially contaminated outer surface of the mask
Disposable masks are never to be reused and should be disposed off.
Change the mask after six hours or as soon as they become wet.
Recommended Screening Checklist for COVID-19 (nCoV)
(Adapted from Checklist of Society of Emergency Medicine India - SEMI)
Date...
Form No...
Gender: . . . .
Phone No: . . . .
Temperature: . . . . Address: . . . . Age: . . . . Name: . . .
Designation and Organisation: . . . .
Email ID: . . .
If you have Cough or Fever or Breathing difficulty or sore throat, please answer the below questions
If any ONE of the above questions are answered as YES, please contact nearest healthcare facility for further screening and observe isolation at home for 14 days and an additional 14 days of limited community engagement.
National Helpline: + 91 11 2397 8046
Did you have any kind of contact with a patient who was tested positive with Yes No Corona virus (nCoV)
l History of international travel
Do you have any history of international travel in the last 14 days Yes No Did you visit any health care facility where patients positive for corona virus Yes No (nCoV) are being treated
Did you come in contact with any person who has cough/cold/breathing Yes No difficulty along with at least one of the following in the last 14 days
l Contact with a patient who is positive for corona virus (nCoV)
l Visited or works in a health care facility where patients with corona virus (nCoV) disease are treated
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As on 11-03-2020
Government of India Ministry of Health & FW
Consolidated Travel Advisory for Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
1. All existing visas (except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas) stand suspended till 15th April 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on 13th March 2020 at the port of departure.
More than 100 countries across the world now have reported cases of COVID-19. People traveling to these countries or people who have travelled abroad might come in contact with people affected with COVID-19 during their stay or even while in transit at the airports. Within these countries, few countries have reported very large number of cases and deaths putting passengers from these countries particularly at higher risk of infection. Travel Advisories had been issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from time to time. The following consolidated Advisory is presently issued.
2. Visa free travel facility granted to OCI card holders is kept in abeyance till 15th April 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on 13th March 2020 at the port of departure.
3. OCI card holders already in India can stay in India as long as they want.
4. Visas of all foreigners already in India remain valid and they may contact the nearest FRRO/FRO through e-FRRO module for extension/conversion etc. of their visa or grant of any consular service, if they choose to do so.
5. Any foreign national who intends to travel to India for compelling reason may contact the nearest Indian Mission.
6. In addition to Visa restrictions already in place, passengers traveling from /having visited Italy or Republic of Korea and desirous of entering India will need certificate of having tested negative for COVID-19 from the designated laboratories authorized by the health authorities of these countries.
This is in enforcement since 0000 hrs. of 10th March, 2020 and is a temporary measure till cases of COVID-19 subside.
7. All incoming travelers, including Indian nationals, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain and Germany after 15th February, 2020 shall be quarantined for a minimum period of 14 days. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on 13th March 2020 at the port of departure.
8. Incoming travelers, including Indian nationals, are advised to avoid non-essential travel and are informed that they can be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days on their arrival in India.
9. Indian nationals are further strongly advised to refrain from travelling to China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain and Germany.
10. All incoming international passengers returning to India should self- monitor their health and follow required do’s and dont’s as detailed by the Government.
11. International traffic through land borders will be restricted to designated check posts with robust screening facilities. These will be notified separately by M/o Home Affairs.
13. For any queries related to health, people may contact Ministry of Health & Family Welfare 24*7 helpline number (+91-11-23978046) or email at (ncov2019@gmail.com).
12. All international Passengers entering into India are required to furnish duly filled self-declaration form in duplicate (including personal particulars i.e. phone no. and address in India) (as annexed) to Health Officials and Immigration officials and undergo Universal Health Screening at the designated health counters at all Points of Entry.
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Established in 1927, FICCI is the largest and oldest apex business organisation in India. Its history is closely interwoven with India’s struggle for independence, its industrialization, and its emergence as one of the most rapidly growing global economies. A non-government, not-for-profit organisation, FICCI is the voice of India’s business and industry. From influencing policy to encouraging debate, engaging with policy makers and civil society, FICCI articulates the views and concerns of industry. It serves its members from the Indian private and public corporate sectors and multinational companies, drawing its strength from diverse regional chambers of commerce and industry across states, reaching out to over 2,50,000 companies. The chamber with its presence in 14 states and 10 countries, provides a platform for networking and consensus building within and across sectors and is the first port of call for Indian industry, policy makers and the international business community.
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