How you can prepare your home and business for an Omicron outbreak

Wednesday, 12 January 2022

Experts and politicians agree the arrival of Omicron in New Zealand is a matter of when, not if.

While they grapple with the big questions about when and how it's let in, individuals and businesses also face some key questions: How can you prepare for an infection in your household or business? And how can you ensure everyone gets through safely?

Like many illnesses, Covid-19 is most infectious before symptoms appear. This means an infected person probably won’t know they have got the virus until others have already been exposed.

The first step should be working out who, if anyone, in your household or business is especially vulnerable to Covid-19 and how much risk everyone is prepared to take.

Not just for businesses, a QR code can help visitors to your home keep track of their movements.

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In the event of an Omicron outbreak, some people may want to wear masks in shared spaces – even if nobody has symptoms – limit visitors or get tested after high-risk events.

Professor Michael Baker said staff at hospitals would inevitably need to work with both sets of patients.

Preparing your business for an outbreak

On Wednesday, University of Otago epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said employers should prepare now for high rates of staff sickness when Omicron breaches the border.

Baker said it would be “prudent” for businesses to plan for a large amount of absence from as soon as the Omicron variant arrives until spring and perhaps even later in the year.

All businesses that had customer-facing roles or staff that met face-to-face should have vaccine mandates and should extend them to include boosters, he said.

Baker also suggested businesses consider dividing staff who performed critical functions into two teams and trying to keep them separate to protect business continuity.

Other ways to prepare a business for an outbreak could include:

Encouraging all staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19
Ensuring the workplace has enough face masks available for all staff if required
Encouraging staff and visitors to scan in and having manual check in/visitor logs available
Maintaining a good supply of cleaning products
Optimising ventilation
Having a plan for how to communicate a case or outbreak associated with the business
Planning how business could continue safely during the response, suspend activities if necessary and resume after the response
Having a plan for staff to work from home if possible.

Preparing for a positive case at home

Is anyone in your household likely to need extra support or care? Talk to anyone already providing in-home care and work out what will happen if the house goes into isolation. Make plans if you have shared custody of a child or dependent.

The next step is figuring out whether you could safely isolate a positive case away from others who test negative.

Is there enough space for a person who tests positive to sleep by themselves and limit time spent in shared spaces? If not, is it possible to keep at least two metres away from others?

If the house has more than one bathroom, one should be allocated to Covid positive people. In households with a single bathroom, surfaces should be wiped with disinfectant after every use, windows left open and fans on.

It’s also important to work out who outside your household would be able to help with delivering food, medicines or other essential items. In some regions, services like the Student Volunteer Army may be able to offer practical help.

How will you get the message out if your household is isolating? A sign and QR code on the fence or front door are effective measures for alerting visitors and helping people keep track of where they’ve been.

Stocking your at-home Covid kit

Once someone in your house tests positive, it’s too late to go shopping so now is the time to work out what you’ll need and get it together before you need it.

Make a list of important health information, including everyone’s names, ages, NHI numbers, medical conditions and regular medications. Include emergency contact information – GP, support agencies and next of kin.

Stock up (within reason) on essential supplies. Yes, you will need toilet paper, no you won’t need every roll in town.

Have a well-stocked “wellness kit” with face coverings, gloves and hand sanitiser, tissues, rubbish bags and cleaning supplies.

Make sure you also have things to help with Covid symptoms – paracetamol and ibuprofen (don’t forget children’s formulas), throat lozenges, ice blocks, electrolytes, and vapour rubs.

Don’t neglect your mental health. Books, games, craft or DIY activities, access to the internet and streaming services can all help keep boredom at bay.

Sources: Ministry of Health, MBIE