An infectious diseases expert says Australian factories and businesses hoping to reopen under any government easing of Covid-19 restrictions will have to rethink how they operate. The comments came as Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the federal government was building towards a ‘COVID-safe economy.'
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| Retailers including Woolworths have already rolled out plexiglass screens at checkouts across the country |
"Factories may need to put plexiglass between workers, these sorts of things will have to happen,” ANU infectious diseases specialist Sanjaya Senanayake told the ABC. "Restaurants that have 50 people in there usually may only be able to have 10 and we may have to get used to seeing waiters in gloves and masks.”
Senanayake believes any gradual lifting of restrictions would require Australian health and government agencies to be on alert for new outbreaks throughout the year. "Lifting restrictions does not mean you lift surveillance," he said. "We should intensify that and testing because we want to jump on cases immediately, and contact trace to quarantine new cases."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday the federal government was now looking closely at the kind of protections that will be needed in a COVID-safe economy:
“We are on the road back and that is demonstrated by the measures that we already have taken and we are on the way back to a COVID-safe economy as well, which is what we have to achieve," he said. "We are building the protections for this COVID-safe economy.
“The best way to get Australians back in jobs and back working, is to get our economy opening up as quickly as it can, subject to the health constraints - whether that's in the construction industry or anywhere else.”
Under New Zealand’s relaxed Alert Level 3 lockdown restrictions due to begin at 11.59pm on Monday 27 April, the NZ government has advised maintaining physical distance between workers:
Workplaces must operate safely – maintain physical distance between workers, recording who is working together, limiting interaction between groups of workers, disinfecting surfaces, and maintaining high hygiene standards.
Businesses cannot offer services which involve face-to-face contact or sustained close contact .
Home services can be delivered if it is safe to do so (like tradespeople for repairs or installations) – keep two metre separation from those in the house.
Most workers will not require PPE to stay safe at work. Incorrectly used PPE can create more risk. Good hygiene measures like hand washing with soap and water, physical distancing, sneeze and cough etiquette, and wiping down surfaces is the best defence against COVID-19.
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| Plexiglas Riesner in Wiesbaden, Germany |
In Germany, the Plexiglas Riesner processing plant in Wiesbaden reports the busiest time in the small company's 114-year history, after a surge in demand for transparent screens that act as ‘sneeze guards’ to protect employees from the Covid-19 virus.
"We have endless work but the reason is very sad, so we can't be euphoric about it," owner Claus Mueller told the AFP.
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| Business as (un)Usual |
Elsewhere, Israel-based print technology manufacturer Landa Digital Printing posted a photo (above) of workers in face masks with the caption: “We are back in the office and operating ‘Business as (un)Usual.’ We hope all our friends worldwide will also get back to a semi regular routine soon. Stay safe. Stay healthy.”
