Management of Confirmed or Suspected Cases

1. 1
1
Close Contact with
Confirmed Case
Close contact is defined as exposure within 1.5 meter for 15 minutes or more
If the Company learns that an employee has tested positive, the COVID-19
manager will conduct an investigation to determine which co-workers may have
had close contact with the confirmed positive employee, as well as the affected
workplace or area that the positive employee was exposed to
Those employees who have had close contact will need to self-isolate for 14 days
from the last date of close contact with that employee.
If applicable, the COVID-19 Manager / Response Team will also notify any sub-
contractors, vendors, suppliers or visitors who may have had close contact with
the confirmed-positive employee.
If an employee learns that he or she has come into close contact with a
confirmed-positive individual outside of the workplace, he/she must alert his/her
line manager / supervisor immediately, seek medical advice and self-isolate the
employee has been cleared for duty by the medical professional.
Lesson 5: Management of confirmed or suspected cases
Lesson 5: Management of Confirmed or Suspected Cases

2. 1
2
• Employees who feel unwell must
be sent home
• Seek medical attention / self-
medicate.
• Employees must follow the advice
of their medical professional
• Employee to provide medical note
upon returning to work if medical
attention is sought
• If possible, and approved by
management, employee maybe
allowed to work from home
If You’re Feeling Unwell

3. 1
3
Communication
• Employers should update employees on a regular basis on COVID-
19 and the affect it will have on business operations.
• Communication should be made possible by email, and notice
boards around the workplaces.
• Employees should be made aware if someone in the workplace
has tested positive in order to facilitate contact tracing.
• Enhance internal reporting and improve communication channels
• Proactively review absenteeism of all employees. Those
employees who do not report to work with a valid reason, should
be contacted and a COVID-19 symptom check should be done
telephonically
Note:
•Workers who are ill at home must stay at home –
•If they have COVID-19 symptoms they must inform their line
manager / supervisor immediately, and seek medical attention.
If You’re Feeling Unwell

4. 1
4
Confirmed or Suspected Case in the Workplace
If an employee contracts COVID-19 at the workplace or is displaying symptoms, the following protocols should be
undertaken:
Isolate the sick employee.
Inform – call the national
COVID-19 hotline (0800
029 999) and NIOH
hotline (080 021 2175)
follow the advice of health
officials.
Transport – ensure the
individual has transport to
the medical facility, and
to their home or isolation
area as directed.
Clean the area where the
person was working and
all places they have been.
This may mean evacuating
those areas.
Identify who at the
workplace had close
contact with the infected
person. Send those people
home to isolate until the
suspected positive
employee has been
diagnosed and proceed
accordingly
Review risk assessments
and the management of
controls relating to COVID-
19 and review whether
work may need to change.
Keep employees up to
date with relevant
information.