Nations around the globe have been working incredibly hard to ensure that the threat of the novel coronavirus is contained and mitigated as much as possible.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) as of 9th February there are 37 558 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus globally with the disease leading to 813 deaths, 812 within China alone.
The WHO places the virus as a high risk globally and this week we learned that Vodacom is taking that advisory as seriously as governments are.
The mobile network operator has sent out an alert to its suppliers urging them to take a number of precautions.
“All suppliers and/or third party staff who have been travelling to and from China or had direct exposure to potential sources of coronavirus infection must be placed under medical observation and isolation for at least 14 days upon return,” wrote Vodacom in a memo to suppliers.
That 14 day period is not arbitrary. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US states that novel coronavirus can take up to 14 days to incubate. While this is based on the incubation of MERS viruses, HSBC has implemented a similar precaution.
Vodacom has also asked its suppliers to confirm that staff who have travelled to and from China and have been exposed to potential sources of infection have been screened and undergone the 14 day observation and isolation exercise.
The staff has not traveled in China might resume his duties at Vodacom.
To minimise the potential risk, Vodacom implemented a “softlock” on supplier staff and third party access 48 hours after the memo was received until the above conditions were met.
But even in the wake of this information, providers will have to be re-certified by Vodacom.
The process is complex but Vodacom seemingly has to do this to ensure that the risk of novel coronavirus entering the country is lowered, at least as far as its suppliers and staff are concerned.
“As a responsible Corporate Citizen, Vodacom has taken the initiative with staff and suppliers to raise awareness around the coronavirus, in order to mitigate any potential exposure from individuals who have recently travelled to and from China,” a Vodacom spokesperson told Hypertext.
As of time of writing there appear to be no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in South Africa. Of course this can change and we advise our readers follow the WHO’s situation reports which are updated daily at this link.
“We continue the collection and testing of samples from individuals with symptoms of coronavirus this is normal and demonstrates effective surveillance of the 2019-nCoV. To date we have conducted 56 tests and all have been negative. There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus,” the National Institute for Communicable Diseases stated on Twitter.
With the virus spreading at an alarming rate it’s a slight comfort to know that firms such as Vodacom are taking precautions to ensure South Africans are safe.
Dear suppliers:
Due to the Novel Coronavirus outbreak in China, Vodacom has put measures in place to mitigate exposure to the virus.
The following measures are in place and it is imperative that all suppliers and/or third party suppliers execute this with immediate effect:
3. On completion of item 2 above, supplier staff and/or third party staff access will be unlocked for a period of 15 days and the following measures will be required to re-certify permanent supplier access:
4. Unauthorized access to one of the local Vodacom is strictly prohibited.
htxt.africa is one of South Africa’s leading technology news and reviews sites, catering for consumers, small and medium businesses and the technology channel. We publish original content daily and welcome your feedback. To suggest a story click here or to make an advertising enquiry click here