Covid in the workplace

[GCE]

We have had our first Covid case within our workplace environment and that we have managed to get so far down the line I suppose is a good thing.
Still wanted to kick the appie in the nuts for the way it came out and his reaction.
Sounds like he picked it up at a night out on the town.

Fortunately we keep the different sites apart as far as is practical and keep the possible contact between the guys to a minimal.
The department of Health came around this morning to test the guys that could have been regarded as close contacts and I took the opportunity to ask questions.

They see close contact as been within 1m even with a mask .
From date of positive test you have to trace back 7 days to everyone you could have been in close contact with and let them be tested or isolate them for 10 Days.
Once positive and no hospitalization then isolate for 10 days from date of positive test and day 11 you can carry on as normal, as normal as covid allows.

The guys tested have now all been sent home and have to await the results which will hopefully only take 12 hours.

I posted the above to let people know what happens when the department gets involved at the workplace , not whether it is right or wrong.

[GCE]

Department of Health , In PE anyway , have impressed me on this particular occasion.
The results from the test's done yesterday morning where sent via SMS at 4H00 this morning and everybody was cleared to come back to work.

What has been interesting in the process and incident was that what we have been doing has obviously worked in keeping everybody safe.

The Appie that tested positive on Thursday last week actually had symptoms on Wednesday/Wednesday night , came to work on Thursday morning without saying anything and only at tea time did the artisan in charge ask what his problem is.It then came out that he thinks he may have covid which is why I wanted to kick him in the nuts but fortunately for him he was taken directly to the doctor and missed bumping into me.

The Appie and artisan were sitting together while driving in the front of the bakkie - We insist on masks being worn and windows open - This combination obviously worked in keeping the guys safe and others may disagree , but we will continue using the method as it seemed to have worked this time.

[ians]

We also had a scare ... The guy was tested for both covid and TB ... just something else to note ... TB and coughing ... Apparently TB is highly contagious unti lthe start of medication.

I also started coughing ...but it turns out the site were we are working ... has old dust (I mean really old dust) which you dont want to get in your system ... so we changed from cloth masks to proper filtered masked.