Published: June 2nd, 2020
Contact tracing is important to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and to contain and stop outbreaks. It works by identifying contacts of people who have tested positive and by encouraging them to self-isolate and closely monitor their health, rather than continuing to mix with others and passing the virus on. Contacts who then develop symptoms will need to take a test.
Key questions for employers:
My staff are exposed to people every day, are they more likely to be told to self isolate?
It is important for employers to play their part by making workplaces as safe as possible and by following the 5 steps to working safely.
If a staff member is notified, do they have to report to us?
If an employee is notified to self-isolate for 14 days because they have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, and are unable to work as a result, they should notify you that they are unable to work within the deadline you have set in your sickness absence policies (or normally within 7 days if you have not set one).
Will my whole workforce be told to self-isolate if someone tests positive?
Only those who have had close recent contact with someone who then tests positive for COVID-19 will be asked to self-isolate.
What’s the minimum and maximum time an employee can be told to self-isolate for?
Those who test positive for coronavirus will be asked to isolate for 7 days from the onset of symptoms and only stop isolating from day 8 once they have been fever free for 48 hours without medication. Those who have had close recent contact with someone who went on to test positive for coronavirus will be asked to self-isolate for the period ending 14 days after they came into contact with the person who has tested positive.
Find out more about test and trace here.