Preventative Measures

Making sure our workplaces and study areas are clean and hygienic

• Surfaces (e.g. desks and tables) and objects (e.g. telephones, keyboards) will be wiped with disinfectant regularly
• Why? Because contamination on surfaces touched by employees, students and customers is one of the main ways that COVID-19 spreads

Promoting regular and thorough hand-washing by staff, students and visitors

• Putting sanitising hand rub dispensers at strategic places and making sure these dispensers are regularly refilled
• Displaying posters promoting hand-washing and combining this with other communication measures
• Making sure that staff, students and visitors have access to places where they can wash their hands with soap and water
• Why? Because washing kills the virus on your hands and prevents the spread of COVID19

Promoting good respiratory hygiene in the workplace

• Displaying posters promoting respiratory hygiene and combining with other communications
• Ensuring that face masks and / or paper tissues are available on campus for those who develop a runny nose or cough at work, along with closed bins for hygienically disposing of them
• Why? Because good respiratory hygiene prevents the spread of COVID-19

Briefing our staff, students and visitors that if COVID-19 starts spreading

• Anyone with even a mild cough or low-grade fever (37.3C or more) needs to stay at home. They should also stay home (or work from home) if they have had to take simple medications, such as paracetamol/acetaminophen, ibuprofen or aspirin, which may mask symptoms of infection.
• Keep communicating and promoting the message that people need to stay at home even if they have just mild symptoms of COVID-19.
• Displaying posters with this message in our work and study places, combining this with other communication channels commonly used at our University.
• Continually developing campaign material by health stakeholders to promote this message.
• NOTE: time off from work or studies, will count as sick leave.

Things to consider when staff and students travel

Where possible, travelling for business or private should be postponed for now. If it is necessary to travel, precautions should be taken. Conferences outside and inside the University should be postponed.

Before travelling:

• Follow the University’s Travel Protocol
• Complete the University’s travel register: https://hrapps.mandela.ac.za/EmployeeTravelRegister/
• Ensure staff and students have the latest information on areas where COVID-19 is spreading. You can find this at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/
• Based on the latest information, the University will assess the benefits and risks related to upcoming travel plans.
• The University will avoid sending staff who may be at higher risk of serious illness (e.g. older staff and those with medical conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung disease) to areas where COVID-19 is spreading.
• The University will make sure all persons travelling to locations reporting COVID-19 are briefed by a qualified professional.
• The University will consider issuing staff who are about to travel with small bottles of alcohol-based hand rub.

While travelling:

• Staff and students are encouraged to wash their hands regularly and stay at least one metre away from people who are coughing or sneezing.
• The University will provide staff and students with information on what to do and who to contact if they feel ill while travelling.
• The University will request all staff and students comply with instructions from the University and local authorities where they are travelling. If, for example, they are told by local authorities not to go somewhere they should comply with this. All staff and students should comply with any restrictions on travel, movement or large gatherings.

When our staff and students return from travelling:

• Staff and students who have returned from an area where COVID-19 is spreading should self-quarantine and monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days and take their temperature twice a day.
• If they develop even a mild cough or low-grade fever (i.e. a temperature of 37.3C or more) they should stay at home and self-isolate. This means avoiding close contact (one metre or nearer) with other people, including family members. In the event of developing symptoms, staff and students should contact the University’s Healthcare Service Providers @ 041 5041149;  041 504 2174;  041 504 3662;  041 504 2045  OR the National Toll Free No 0800029999 and provide them details of their recent travel and symptoms.

Communication & Marketing