New anti-COVID-19 measures come into force as from today at Independence House offices |14 July 2020
As from today July 14, a series of new measures will be carried out at the Independence House building where different ministries and public services are located to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 among staff and clients walking in the building.
New measures
● No members of the public will be authorised to use the lift to the annex building from the ground floor. The public will be able to access the lift from the first floor only.
● Only one staircase accessing the Independence House building will remain open. The side of the staircase facing the 5th June Avenue will remain closed.
● Staff and clients coming to the Independence House building will have only three entrance options:
- The three entrances will also serve as screening stations where all staff and clients will have to abide by the screening procedures (as below).
1. Sanitise hands
2. Complete details asked in the log book. (There will be a logbook for staff and one for the public)
3. Temperature check conducted by the security officer. The person notes down his/her temperature in the logbook. (Anyone recorded with extremely high temperature/fever will not be allowed in the building).
4. Proceed to the building.
The three entrances will be:
1. Customer Service Centre entrance
2. One side staircase (facing Independence Avenue/Commercial Bank)
3. The lift area to the Independence House Annex Building
- There will be a limited number of clients who will be accepted in the different waiting areas at one time.
- Customer service centre – 8 people
- Second floor – 8 people
- VIP area – 4 people
- Planning counter - 5 people
- Planning waiting area – 3 people
- PS’ waiting area - 2 people
Others
♦ Dispensers filled with hand sanitiser have been placed at the three entrances and other access areas in the building
♦ Two areas have been identified on Ground Floor and Second Floor to serve as a sickbay area for isolation of staff showing symptoms of the virus at work.
♦ All staff will be given two masks only for their use at the office. Staff who conduct site visits will be given additional masks.
♦ Staff going for site visits or who regularly conduct meetings/visits outside the Independence House compound will be obligated to keep an individual log to keep records of everyone they come in to contact with.
♦ The ministry maintains its previous communications encouraging members of the public to call and use emails instead of coming to the offices as much as possible.
♦A health and safety committee for the ministry/planning authority has been set up to ensure the recommendations of the department of health are being observed.
Contributed by the Ministry of Habitat, Infrastructure and Land Transport