COVID 19 – PRECAUTIONS & ADVICE

Dear Colleagues,

In the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic, we are faced with an unprecedented situation globally. In these
circumstances it has become necessary to contain the further spread of the virus by taking certain
measures and precautions that have proved affective worldwide.

It is also important that we ignore and disregard the huge amount of misleading information out there
today. Many people are still claiming this pandemic to be a hoax or a conspiracy theory, and this
dangerous mindset is spreading through our society making us more relaxed to precautionary measures.
Let us be clear, a disease that has thus far claimed more than 300,000 lives globally and has to date
infected more than 70,000 Pakistanis must be taken seriously. Our government institutions and your
organization are fulfilling their responsibilities by taking necessary precautions to keep all of you and
your families safe from harm. By implementing work from home SOPs, the organization has put your
health and wellbeing first. It is collective and individual responsibility to stay vigilant and do your part.
Please find below some of our guidelines regarding the disease and its prevention:

Firstly, please ensure the following on all Cybernet / RapidCompute / StormFiber / Nayapay premises:

1. All such employees who have been asked to report to office and who have arrived back in the
city within last 30 days, will be asked to quarantine themselves for mandatory 14 days, starting
from the day they returned to Karachi. Their HOD(s) will ensure that they are not in office under
any circumstances within this period. The period can be revised as per management’s advice
2. No more than 3 people will be allowed in an elevator at a time
3. Ensure you sanitize your hands regularly
4. If you have to use the photocopier, do not congest the area, maintain recommended distance
5. Cafeterias will be closed; no staff will be expected to have meals or tea or coffee in office
6. All smoking areas will be closed
7. All prayer areas will be closed. Those who have to pray, will be asked to bring prayer mats from
home and prayer mats will not be shared

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 COVID 19 – PRECAUTIONS & ADVICE
Consult a doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:

 Fever, or cough, or BOTH

 Shortness of breath or trouble in breathing
 Persistent pain in chest

Take following general precautions:

 Avoid handshakes and physical contact

 Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands.
 Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet when going out, at all public places.
 Wear a mask when in the presence of other people; ensure mask is worn properly, covering
nose and mouth

Remember, kids under age 10 and elders aged above 60 are more at risk.

If you are sick:

 Self-isolate in home
 Cough or sneeze into your sleeve
 Avoid contact with others

Ensure hands are washed and disinfected using sanitizers (or wash with soap if sanitizer not available),
after:

 Immediately removing gloves

 Contact with a person who is sick
 Using the restroom
 Before eating or preparing food
 After contact with animals or pets

Try to stay at home as much as possible:

 Only leave your homes to buy essentials and groceries

 Do not attend events and gatherings in family or outside.
 If it’s absolute necessary to venture out, avoid using public transport. If using public transport is
unavoidable, maintain a safe distance (6 feet) with other commuters

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 COVID 19 – PRECAUTIONS & ADVICE
 Avoid taking out kids when going out for buying essentials
 Use tissues when using ATMs, or elevators, or any other public self-help devices
 Disinfect clothes upon return to home
 Clean and disinfect surfaces that are most commonly touched by people returning from outside
e.g. door knobs, door bells

When going for groceries, take following precautions:

 Wear disposable gloves

 Elderly and people suffering from high risk diseases or conditions (diabetes, asthma , chest
congestion) should avoid crowds
 Try to avoid peak hours to reduce exposure to a larger crowd
 Avoid contact with cash as much as possible, use debit / credit cards
 Rinse all fresh vegetables, fruits meat before storage or use
 Wipe all packed items with swabs or sanitary wipes before storage or use
 Make a plan, take only what you need. Multiple cases of over-purchasing have been observed.
Panic buying behavior may have negative consequences, such as an increase in food prices,
overconsumption of food and an unequal distribution of products. It is therefore important to
consider your own needs, as well as those of others.

Spending considerable time without going out can take toll on health as well:

 Try and ensure physical exercise at home and encourage other family members as well
 Talk to your family about the prevalent situation but do not let stress get to them, explain to
them that any dire situation can be prevented if precautions are taken
 Spend time with your kids and make their stay indoors an interactive and active one; play board
games, read to them, encourage them to take up hobbies like drawing and gardening

Take special precautions for children:

 Ensure kids wash their hands after greeting anyone who has come indoors from outside
 Make them wash and sanitize their hands after playing with toys
 Put used toys and unused toys in separate bins
 Wash used toys in warm soapy water before allowing them to play with toys again

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 COVID 19 – PRECAUTIONS & ADVICE
 Disinfect frequently touched surfaces like table tops, door knobs, electrical switches

Follow safe food handling practices:

 Prepare home-cooked meals

 Limit highly processed foods e.g. ready-to-eat meals, packaged snacks and desserts are often
high in saturated fat, sugars and salt
 Keep your hands, kitchen and utensils clean
 Cook your food thoroughly
 Keep your food at safe temperatures, either below 5 °C or above 60 °C