Public Service moves to protect government employees against Coronavirus in latest guidelines

The Ministry of Public Service has issued several strict guidelines to be followed by government workers in a bid to prevent them from catching Coronavirus.

In guidelines issued by the Public Service Permanent Secretary, Catherine Bitarakwate, the post- lockdown Standards Operating Procedures should be followed to guide their operations to avoid the spread of the virus.

“Each ministry, department, agency, and local government should identify 30% of its total workforce to remain on duty to ensure critical services are provided promptly. 70% of the workforce will continue to offer their services remotely,” Bitarakwate’s circular says.

The Ministry of Public Service Permanent Secretary says that when exigencies of duty or service demand that an employee who is among the 70% supposed to work from home is required to handle a specific assignment that may require physical presence at the workplace, the employee may be called back to the office.

The circular says that all employees should avail themselves physically or remotely whenever called upon to perform their duties.

Social- distancing

According to Johns Hopkins hospital of public health, social distancing is deliberately increasing the physical space between people to avoid spreading of the virus.

Whereas experts advise at least six feet away from other people to lessen the chances of catching Coronavirus, this has been modified according to various countries.

According to the Ministry of Public Service Permanent Secretary, responsible officers must put in place crowd management strategies at the workplace while ensuring social distancing in all their engagements with their external and internal clients.

“Responsible officers should provide the general public with vital institutional contacts. Clients seeking guidance or intending to make consultations with public offices should be encouraged to use the officials' publicized websites, emails, and telephone lines of ministries, departments, agencies, and local governments. This will limit physical interaction,” the circular says.

Employees have also been asked to ensure they limit physical interaction with fellow employees while at office premises whereas everyone has been asked to ensure the use of facemasks, provisions for sanitizing hands at entrances, thermal scanning at entrances, and office premises.

“Employees with flu, cough, cold, and fever must stay home and seek medical treatment after informing their responsible officers. Employees should be encouraged to use their vehicles or officially allocated vehicles for commuting to and from the workplace. Official vehicles may be provided to pick and drop required officers who don’t have private vehicles.”

“Physical meetings should not be held, video conferences/ conference calls should be used as an alternative. For emergencies where a physical meeting is inevitable, it should be held outdoors with a composition of up to a maximum of 10 participants and social distance should be observed in line with the guidance issued by the Ministry of Health.

Other guidelines

Employees with advanced age, persons with co-morbidities, and breast-feeding mothers should be supported to work from home whereas responsible officers have been asked to ensure there is a gap of one hour between shifts for employees working in shifts.

“Lunch breaks should also be staggered to ensure social distancing in cafeteria/ canteens hosted at workplaces. Alternatively, employees should be encouraged to come with their own packed food.”

Frequent disinfection of high-touch surfaces like door handles, lifts/ elevators, and their buttons, vehicles, shuttle buses, and other surfaces such as hand railings and office tables is encouraged.

The move comes at a time when the number of frontline health workers affected by Coronavirus in Uganda continues to rise.

On Monday, the Ministry of Health announced that four more health workers had tested positive to ensure that the number rises to 22.

Last week, four KCCA staff at City Hall tested positive of the virus whereas the Prime Minister went into self-isolation after some of his staff tested positive of the virus.

Uganda has 646 confirmed Coronavirus cases, whereas 103 people have fully recovered and discharged from various hospitals around the country.