Dear Colleague,
You are all fully aware of the global response to the pandemic coronavirus, known as Covid19. I am focused on Herefordshire Council staff and our services – how we are best able to protect both. Please be assured we have existing plans and protocols in place to cope with pandemic flu and in recent weeks and days we have been planning for the impact of coronavirus on us all.
None of us have experienced anything quite like this impact on normal life and for the vast majority, coronavirus will not be a serious illness. However, for a small number of people, this virus could be deadly. The essential thing that we should all be doing now and for the foreseeable future is to be extremely hygienic. Please observe the notices around our buildings and wash your hands for longer, more frequently – starting with when you enter a place of work and before eating, and always when leaving toilets. It remains a really important part of this hygiene control, that we all learn not to touch our faces with our hands to avoid ingesting the virus. It’s not easy, but it’s important.
I am also announcing temporary protocols for three important areas during this response, to help delay and limit the spread of coronavirus in Herefordshire, effective from Monday 16th March;
- Working from Home
Whilst the vast majority will not be very ill from the disease, a more vulnerable group is those who have a serious underlying health condition. A number of our staff have underlying serious health conditions. Those employees with underlying serious health conditions whose immunity to a virus is likely to be reduced should begin to work remotely/ from home. This will be until further notice. If you are unclear about your serious health condition and if your immunity is likely to be affected, you should consult your GP or call NHS 111. You should advise your line manager of your situation on the first day of home-working. You should discuss with your line manager, if you are not home-working enabled (e.g. with a laptop).
2. Meeting and travel
This follows national guidance on safe distances. Where possible or necessary, meetings can be carried out using conference calls, webex or through emails, or over the phone. Meetings with external groups in other locations, on behalf of Herefordshire Council, should wherever possible be done through conference calls or through webex, emails or over the phone. Internal meetings should only take place in a well ventilated room or place, and where those in the meeting are able to maintain a distance of 2 metres apart. Non-essential travel to meetings, seminars, conferences should be avoided should be avoided wherever possible, especially out of the county. You should discuss with your line manager to be clear about any changed plans, or what may be ‘non-essential’.
- Public Meetings
I am advising that public meetings should be postponed, cancelled or held in an alternative way to physical meetings – unless they can be conducted within the guideline of meeting in a well ventilated room or place, and where all those in the meeting are able to maintain a distance of 2 metres apart. This follows national guidance on safe distances. This is to be determined by the chair and vice-chair representing each meeting, recognizing the above advice and the potential for significant numbers of people to be unable to attend. Where possible or necessary, meetings might be carried out using conference calls, webex or through emails, or phonecalls. Public meetings with external groups in other locations, on behalf of Herefordshire Council, should be postponed, cancelled or conducted through conference calls or through webex, emails or phonecalls.
The above protocols are designed to ensure that we minimise the impact of coronavirus on our council, our staff and our councillors, whilst continuing to maintain operations and functions. They will inevitable cause us all to adapt, and this is unavoidable. We will in the days ahead clarify how decision-making will be conducted if meetings are not possible, and we will advise on this.
Our intranet carries the most up to date information on coronavirus. Please be sure to look at this regularly as we will be placing all updated plans on this intranet page.
I will keep in touch with staff and councillors in the days ahead with updates on our plans and planned actions.
Keep well,
Kind regards,
Alistair
Alistair Neill
Chief Executive
Herefordshire Council