Even if vaccinated one should follow all COVID19 protocols to reduce the number of cases especially workplaces should be proactive in order to fight against the virus at the same time focus mental health of the employees.
Dr Abdulnasser Jamal al Mawali said in an interview with Observer, “Even if vaccinated, they should comply with the precautions till we reach the desired percentage of vaccination.”
“I think in Oman, most of the people have accepted the vaccination, there are few who have been refusing, but some have unfortunately got the infection or someone in the family had suffered or even passed away due to the virus.
One more reason to the rush to vaccination we are seeing now is due to the new variants of the virus. Recently the numbers of cases have been growing very fast as well as death cases,” pointed out Dr Al Mawali.
In regard to some people opting not to wear mask at workplace he said, “Wearing a mask is not an option, it is self commitment to protect yourself and the community from the virus. If you decided to remove the mask at work place you will risk your colleagues and the workplace for the disease resulting in very serious consequences.”
Each organization should pay attention to the mitigation that will protect the spread of the virus at workplace, according to Dr Al Mawali.
“It is easier and cost effective to prevent the infection than dealing with an outbreak. Employees should be reminded regularly about the guidelines, wearing mask, keeping two meters distance and washing hands frequently. Also masks and sanitizers should be provided for everybody. The guidelines should be clear for everyone and can be conveyed through posters or e-mails,” he explained.
He advised that the involvement of the top management is important.
“They should be the first to follow the guidelines and this is one way to encourge rest of the employees,” he noted.
“Emergency response team should be formed in such crises and should meet regularly to make sure the guidelines are set, easy to be followed and up to date. There are guidelines set by the supreme committee and Ministry of Health which give each organization the way to start in protecting their employees and workplaces, he said.”
There have been incidents where someone in the family has contracted the virus or the working individuals themselves and they continue to report to work.
“Self declaration is very crucial in protecting the workplace from covid-19, the instruction should be clear to all, if any covid-19 related symptoms have started or a positve case contact encountered, the employee should isolate immediately. In case of any positive case identified at workplace a proper contact tracing should be done to avoid an outbreak,” he stressed.
Dr Al Mawali suggested that a working online is very effective, “It has been utilized by so many organizations throughout the world, each organization should consider this option very seriously to use it in case of lock down or outbreaks. Depending on the size and number of staff in the organization, the guidelines will be almost similar as a basic.”
As much as physical health it is important to take care of employee's mental health, Dr Al Mawali said, “As so many people have suffered ftom this pandemic in different ways, the reorganization should support them by providing a friendly environment where the employees can express their feelings and concerns.”
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