EMPLOYERS are urged to keep track of the whereabouts of their employees and their health conditions before allowing them to return to work in order to prevent novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cross-infection as the number of enterprises that have resumed production in the city keeps increasing.

“Although the number of new infections has reduced over the past week, the risk [of getting infected] remains,” said Feng Tiejian, vice director of Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday, adding that the risk increases with more people returning to Shenzhen from across the country for work.

Feng said enterprises should take strict prevention measures, such as setting up internal observation and isolation mechanisms, while resuming production. He said employers should inquire into the whereabouts of each staffer for the past 14 days to single out those who have been to areas hit hard by the virus and put them under a 14-day isolation. During their quarantine period, their body temperatures and other health conditions should be closely monitored. Only employees with temperatures within the normal range will be allowed to go back to work, Feng said.

Special attention should also be paid to dining areas and other common places where large numbers of employees gather, the Shenzhen Economic Daily said yesterday, quoting Feng.

“Try to avoid crowds in public places to prevent cross-infection,” said Feng. “And prevention measures should be strictly carried out in such places as dining areas.”

He said employers should immediately report suspected COVID-19 infections and infected staffers, if found, to the authority.

Feng also encouraged enterprises to allow employees to work from home with the assistance of cloud-based office tools as the risk of virus spread is greater in crowded, confined areas.  (Claudia Wei)