Dear Founders,
Given the recent developments in the global spread of coronavirus diesease (COVID-19), the World Health Organisation (WHO) had announced that the spread of the virus is now considered a global pandemic.
In accordance with this, it is important for all countries, communities, and individuals to do what they can to help prevent the further spread of the virus.
The purpose of this communication is to summarise some key steps you can take to protect your teams and prevent further spread of the virus. Below you will find some practices that you can do for your business.
The action you can take
In preparing your workplace to prevent the spread of the virus, we propose the adoption and implementation of the following practices as adapted from WHO’s guideline.
1. Implement social distancing
The most effective means of reducing the spread of the virus is with social distancing –keeping individuals at home for as much as possible, as long as possible, until the spread recedes.
Accommodate practices for working from home in your organisation, through adoption of technology that effectively facilitates remote work. You can start by preparing your team for remote work, getting the tools and guidelines, and implementing strategies for it.
Avoid hosting or facilitating of in-person meetings. Instead, use online conferencing, email, or phone where possible.
Postpone or cancel non-essential meetings, gatherings, workshops, and training sessions.
Also Read: These Indonesian edutech startups are helping students cope and thrive during the COVID-19 crisis
Eliminate unnecessary local and international travels –utilise the aforementioned tools instead.
Limit congregation of individuals in work rooms, pantries, copy rooms, or other areas where people socialise.
If possible, encourage individuals to avoid public transportation, or avoid rush-hour crowding.
Encourage individuals to limit recreational or other leisure activities, or other activities where close contact is likely.
2. If an in-person meeting is necessary, ensure effective preventive measures are taken
Provide information and briefing on COVID-19, both orally and in writing, and the measures that the organisers are taking to make this event safe for participants.
Avoid making physical contact such as shaking hands when greeting.
Display dispensers of alcohol-based hand rub prominently around the venue.
If possible, arrange seats so that they are at least one meter apart.
Open windows and doors whenever possible to ensure that the venue is well-ventilated.
If anyone starts to feel unwell, follow your immediate response plan.
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 there are participant(s) who become ill after the event.
3. Promote thorough and regular personal hygiene
Place hand sanitisers dispensers in prominent places in the workplace. Ensure they are regularly refilled.
Ensure that all personnel have access to places where they can wash their hands with soap and water.
Circulate messaging to promote regular handwashing and sanitising, along with guideline for appropriate technique.
Limit the number of times you touched your face.
Supply tissue and provide the bin to dispose of them in.
Encourage individuals to cover their face with the bend of their elbow or tissue if they cough or sneeze.
Also Read: Is COVID-19 curbing startup exits in Southeast Asia?
4. Promote regular and thorough hygiene of physical surfaces and objects
Surfaces (desks, tables) and objects (telephones, computers) need to be wiped with disinfectant regularly.
Wear disposable gloves when cleaning surfaces and objects. Dispose of gloves immediately after use.
If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned with soap and water before disinfection.
For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70 per cent alcohol. Most common household disinfectants should be enough.
For soft, porous surfaces such as carpeted floor or drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners for use on these surfaces.
5. Promote good respiratory hygiene
Ensure that face masks and tissues are available in your workplace for those who develop runny nose or cough, with closed bins for proper, hygienic disposal.
Ensure individuals are informed on how and when to use face masks.
6. Promote early medical care and attention for at-risk individuals
Individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, and dificulty breathing) must seek immediate medical attentions and share travel history with medical care providers.
Individuals experiencing mild cough or low-grade fever (37.3 C or more) are advised to stay at home.
Individuals taking simple medications (paracetamol/acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin) which may mask symptoms are advised to stay at home.
Keep promoting the message that individuals with any symptoms of COVID-19 must stay at home.
Consider how to identify and support individuals who are at risk without inviting stigma and discrimination in the workplace.
7. Stay informed with news and updates from trusted sources
Given the speed of developments, it is crucial to stay up-to-date. Ensure that response plans are in-line with these changes.
Consider sharing and regularly updating summary facts and their implications to avoid the spread of misinfomrations.
Employ an iterative, empirical approach to understanding what is going on and what to do –albeit one guided by experts.
Also Read: How Metro Manila’s COVID-19 community quarantine is affecting the local startup community
8. Communicate with all stakeholders effectively
Define internal chain of command in key areas such as decision-making and response to enquiries.
Communication should be early, often, and include the following:
- That your organisation is aware of the situation and makes contingency plans to limit the disruption to business
- Reference to information about precautionary measures that are being taken
- Links to unbiased, fact-based resources
- Contact information of the personnel activating the response plan
Check out these examples of internal communication for businesses.
Identify channels to communicate to external stakeholders –newsletters and social media are best.
The purpose of external communications is to ensure clients, partners, and investors that you are aware of the severity of the situation and have a contingency plan in store.
Communications with external stakeholders should include:
- Statement about how you prioritise employee and client safety and will continue to monitor the situation
- Succinct statement about preventive measures that are underway within your organisation
- Link to reference or contact person
The following are examples of format for external communications:
- Email signature: Note: Kindly be advised that COMPANY NAME has adopted a job rotational shift (segregated teams) system in light of DORSCON level-Orange. Hence, we seek your understanding that our professionals and staff might be working from home at certain days of the week. Should you have any clarifications, please feel free to email us and we will respond the soonest possible.
- Example of detailed Q&A page by Expedia
- Example of external communication A
- Example of external communication B
9. Prepare an immediate response plan for identified cases
Identify a room where someone who is feeling unwell can be safely isolated.
Limit the number of people having contact with said person.
Have a plan to have them safely transferred to a healthcare facility. Agree the plan in advance with your healthcare provider.
Ensure all individuals are aware of this response plan.
Also Read: How COVID-19 is changing traditional retail and e-commerce in SEA
10. Develop a contingency and business continuity plan
Consider a plan in the context of the communities and geographies where your business operates as well as the geographic segment of your supply chains and sales markets.
It should address how to keep your business running even if a significant number of employees, contractors, and suppliers cannot come to your place or business due to illness or travel restrictions.
Conduct a focussed discussion or exercise of your plan to identify gaps or problems to be corrected ahead of time.
The plan should communicate human resource policies, workplace and leave possibilities, and available pay and benefits.
Further guidance can be found here.
Be aware of potential myths.
Important updates on travelling within Indonesia and overseas
When planning overseas travel, always check with Safe Travels –Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs platform for updated travel recommendations for each country. For updates on major travel destinations, please refer to links below:
Before travelling, please consider the following as per WHO’s travel guide:
- Asses benefits and risks related to travel
- Avoid sending high-risk individuals to areas where COVID-19 is spreading
- Ensure all travelling individuals are briefed by qualified professionals
- Consider issuing small bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitiser for travelling employees
Also Read: How COVID-19 is changing traditional retail and e-commerce in SEA
Formal reporting for Indonesia
The following are a number of resources for those living and working in Indonesia:
Official information about COVID-19 in DKI Jakarta
Latest information on COVID-19 in Indonesia
Reported cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia
Additional useful resources
Questions to guide company reflections and formulation of COVID-19 responses.
Workplace practices in China as a roadmap.
Excel model to predict when to implement work-from-home policy.
Online training resources by WHO.
Comments on the impact on global financial market.
Official remarks by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, delivered on March 12.
Information about what scientists know about how the COVID-19 affect the body.
Information on groups identified as being high-risk and how it impact different groups.
Infographic on key statistics.
SEA awareness campaigns.
Database for more useful links.
BCG on navigating the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
What this mean for global economy.
How to prepare for self-quarantine.
Advice on how to be effective (and mentally well!) when working from home.
In containing and reducing the spread of the virus, China took eight weeks to achieve it –with highly restrictive precautionary measures. Other countries may take the same amount of time, if not more. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to be prepared.
Thank you all and please be safe.
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Image Credit: Adrian Pranata on Unsplash
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