Jun 17th, 2020
4 mins
Updated 17/06/2020 – Recent government guidance for contacts of people with confirmed COVID-19 infection who do not live with the person has been released. In the context of the workplace this means, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19 other employees who have been close contact with this person could be contacted by the NHS track and trace team. Some of the criteria for this can be:
- people who spend significant time in the same household as a person who has tested positive for COVID-19
- a person who has had face-to-face contact (within one metre), with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, including:
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- being coughed on
- having a face-to-face conversation within one metre
- having skin-to-skin physical contact, or
- contact within one metre for one minute or longer without face-to-face contact
- a person who has been within 2 metres of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes
- a person who has travelled in a small vehicle with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or in a large vehicle or plane near someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
Interestingly, where the interaction between 2 people has taken place through a Perspex (or equivalent) screen, this would not be considered by the NHS (Contact tracing team) as sufficient contact, provided that there has been no other contact such as any of those indicated above. This really does reiterate the value of having screens to separate employees who can come into close contact over other control measures such as facing away from each other or working side to side or the use of visors.
In a scenario with employees working side by side, facing away from each other or back to back etc (even if using visors) it is highly likely that entire production line (employees) could be notified by the NHS track and trace team and asked to self-isolate and stay at home for 14 days immediately. If the contact, then develops any symptoms they would continue to isolate at home and arrange to have a test. If your test is negative, then you must still complete the full 14 days of self-isolation, as you could still develop coronavirus (COVID-19).
To view the full guidance, see below:
