What is a coronavirus and COVID-19?
Coronaviruses can make humans and animals sick. Some coronaviruses can cause illness similar to the common cold and others can cause more serious diseases, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). This new coronavirus originated in Hubei Province, China and the disease outbreak is named COVID-19.
How is this coronavirus spread?
The coronavirus is most likely to spread from person-to-person through:
- direct close contact with a person while they are infectious
- close contact with a person with a confirmed infection who coughs or sneezes, or
- touching objects or surfaces (such as door handles or tables) contaminated from a cough or sneeze from a person with a confirmed infection, and then touching your mouth or face.
- Most infections are only transmitted by people when they have symptoms. These can include fever, a cough, sore throat, tiredness and shortness of breath.
How can we help prevent the spread of coronavirus?
Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against most viruses.
You should:
- wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
- cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser
- and if unwell, avoid contact with others (touching, kissing, hugging, and other intimate contact).
Who needs to isolate?
To help limit the spread of coronavirus, you must isolate yourself in the following circumstances:
- If you have left, or transited through, mainland China in the last 14 days you must isolate yourself for 14 days from the date of leaving mainland China.
- If you have left, or transited through Iran on or after 1 March, you must isolate yourself until 14 days after leaving Iran.
- If you have been in close contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus, you must isolate yourself for 14 days from the date of last contact with the confirmed case.
Further information
For further information regarding workplace laws, we have included a link to the Fair Work and the World Health Organisation websites:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/news-and-media-releases/website-news/coronavirus-and-australian-workplace-laws
https://www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/covid-19
Please monitor these links daily to ensure you are aware of any changes in the advice given.
Who to contact
If you are currently on a temporary contract through CBC Staff Selection, and you think you may be at risk of COVID-19 please contact your Doctor or local Medical facility urgently and ensure you are following the Australian Government Department of Health guidelines.
Please also contact your consultant, via telephone, email or text, please do NOT return to the workplace without medical advice.
If you are a client who has a CBC Staff Selection temporary staff member, it is important that that you have protocols in place to protect your employees and our temporary staff.
Please contact our office to speak to your consultant or Sally Mlikota, Director, via telephone, email or text should you have any concerns.
