Advice for food businesses on Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Dear members,

Kindly find the update below on COVID-19 from the CEO. 

On Thursday, 12 March 2020, the Department of Health (DoH), alongside The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and GCIS hosted a COVID-19 dialogue session. The purpose of the engagement was to update business on government’s plans around containment of COVID-19, to dispel inaccurate information relating to its treatment and prevention and to request business’ support and collaboration in the dissemination of accurate information and protocols.

 There was a high focus on ensuring that panic is not created by communicating simple, easy-to-understand information and resources regularly. Below, are key takeaways from the session.

 Repatriation of South Africans from China

1. The plan is to Repatriate, quarantine and then rehabilitate/re-integrate South Africans repatriated from China. The current number of people requiring repatriation is 122 and continues to grow.
2. The aircraft left on Tuesday night with 15 members from medical units.
3. DIRCO collaborated with Chinese government to ensure that all South Africans identified for repatriation will be driven to the airport and screened prior to getting onto the plane. Department of Home Affairs (DHA) will verify the screenings prior to departure.
4. If, through screening, any infected persons are identified, they will remain in China for immediate treatment.
5. Should anyone begin to present symptoms on the plane, there is an isolation booth that they will be placed in.
6. Upon arrival in South Africa, buses will be waiting to transport the repatriated individuals to a quarantine site. The aircraft and all equipment used will then be disinfected.
7. The setup of the quarantine site is similar to that of a hospital with internal and external parameters which will limit access and exposure. Individual rooms will be allocated to each person and they will be tested again.
8. WHO has advised that a quarantine period is 14 days, however, SANDF has extended it to 21 days as a precautionary measure. After the 21 days and being cleared (testing negative), they will be reintegrated to society.
9. There currently are no plans to put in place any bans, however, DIRCO will issue advisories (for travel and import/export). 

1.NICD

1. At the time of the session, there were currently 17 confirmed cases in South Africa. However, there has been no local transmission of the virus in SA. As of this afternoon, the number of cases has increased to 24.
2. The virus is transmitted through droplets, which can survive on surfaces for up to 9hrs.
3. They reiterated the importance of avoiding close contact with people who are sick. Droplets (from coughing/sneezing etc) can travel 1,5m -2m.
4. It is critical to sanitize all surfaces regularly, especially in frequently used areas.
5. Hands must be washed thoroughly and regularly, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds (sing “Happy Birthday” twice to help keep count). A diagram showing how to wash hands properly is attached. If soap is not available, a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol must be used.
6. Only laboratory tests can diagnose COVID-19. People who present symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, sore throat, shortness of breath and a fever must contact the NICD on 0800 029 999. Antibiotics do not treat viral infections, but there isn’t a specific anti-viral treatment available. Currently, patients are being treated for fever and patients experiencing shortness of breath are being given oxygen.
7. As an additional precautionary measure, people are encouraged to get flu shots.
8. There is no sufficient evidence to prove that masks prevent the virus. Masks, if used, should be for people who are sick to prevent infecting others. If you are not sick, do not wear a mask.
9. The history of travel areas/affected countries is updated on the NICD website daily (www.nicd.ac.za). 

2. DoH

1. Reiterated that our focus must be on containment through consistent and simple communication and dispelling fake news.
2. The 6 key messages that must be communicated are:

i. Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

ii. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your elbow. Where a tissue is used, it must be thrown away immediately and hands washed again.

iii. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.

iv. Avoid close contact with people who are sick (1,5m – 2m).

v. Stay home when you are sick.

vi. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces regularly.

c. Highlighted the importance of communicating correctly and mitigating panic which can create stigma. Stigma can:

i. Drive people to hide their illness to avoid discrimination.

ii. Prevent people from seeking medical attention immediately.

iii. Discourage people from adopting healthy behaviours for fear of being accused of having the virus.

d. The department put in place a 3-phase communications plan, broken down as follows:

i. Phase 1: Preparing for a possible imported case.

ii. Phase 2 (current phase): One or more cases have been identified. Actions being undertaken now include:

1. Building trust with population, addressing misunderstandings/misinformation, rumour and frequently asked questions.
2. Encouraging people to adopt protective behaviours.
3. Managing expectations and communicating uncertainties.
4. Encouraging collaboration amongst partners.
5. Providing information and guidance.

iii. Phase 3: Ongoing COVID-19 transmission. This would not occur at a national level; it would be regional and localised. They are currently preparing for small outbreaks first. Actions will include:

1. Maintaining trust by listening to the population and modifying communications depending on people’s perceptions and questions/concerns.
2. Empowering individuals, groups and communities.
3. Adapting to the needs of affected populations.
4. Monitoring and evaluating regularly.

d. Reliable sources of information:

i. Expatriation: Inter-Ministerial Committee and/or NATJOINT spokesperson.

ii. Case announcements and preparedness: Minister of Health, NICD, MEC’s for Health.

Communications toolkit:

i. The DoH has prepared a toolkit which can be co-branded for organisational use to assist with education and information sharing. The toolkit is accessible here: http://www.health.gov.za/index.php/outbreaks/145-corona-virus-outbreak/465-corona-virus-outbreak  and includes:

1. FAQ’s
2. WHO Stigma Guide
3. Travel Advice
4. Social media content
5. Print-ready poster and flyer
6. Internal posters

Although it wasn’t covered in the session, from a consumer goods industry perspective, there is a need to establish retail/customer facing protocols which may include:

1. Educating and training staff on standard protocols and how to implement them in stores/customer-facing. For example:
2. Having tissues and sanitizers readily available.
3. If a customer is seen sneezing or coughing, offer tissues, a squeeze of hand sanitizer and remind them about the hygiene protocols.
4. Put up hygiene protocol posters in stores with the NICD hotline phone number.
5. Included in the staff training must be reinforcement to handle cases with care and dignity.
6. Staff must also be reminded to wash their hands and use sanitizers regularly, especially staff who come into direct contact with customers such as cashiers, sales people, cleaning staff, security, etc.
7. Clarification on how (and how regularly) dustbins with tissues and disinfectant wipes will be cleared out.

From a food safety perspective, it is unlikely that the virus can be passed through food and there is no evidence yet of COVID-19 that suggests that people can be infected with the virus through food. Coronaviruses need a host (animal or human) to grow in thus cannot grow in food. However, it is important to emphasise the following basic food safety protocols:

• People who are ill should not prepare food.
• Cook food thoroughly.
• Use different chopping boards and knives for raw meat and cooked foods to avoid cross contamination.
• Sick animals and animals that have died of diseases should not be eaten.

The increasing concern around panic buying is calling for industry to ensure that there are sufficient measures in place throughout the value chain to ensure that essential food, non-food and other seasonally-driven products such as heaters will continue to be available to consumers across the country. Should you require a Business Continuity Plan to assist your organisation with preparations for a possible large-scale COVID-19 outbreak and/or to review your organisation’s ability to mitigate the related risks, you can access a template via this https://www.cgcsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Business-Continuity-Policy.docx

Please also note this article which carries great insights regarding Deloitte’s Supply Chain Risk and Disruption Analysis in the face of COVID-19: https://www2.deloitte.com/za/en/pages/risk/articles/covid-19-managing-supply-chain-risk-and-disruption.html

We will continue to monitor new developments and engaging with government and the NICD to ensure that we enable our members to remain updated and able to prepare their businesses as efficiently as possible. Should you have any further queries or questions you would like us to seek clarity from DoH or NICD on, kindly contact fsisrvices@cgcsa.co.za

Kind Regards,

FSI Services

Consumer Goods Council of South Africa