We are committed to containing and delaying the spread of Coronavirus in the UK and so are considering steps to take in the future should this virus become more widespread.
At the moment the number of cases in the UK is still relatively low, but we are aware that this number is rising.
The UK authorities have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate and it is understood that the Government is now planning for a wide range of scenarios.
It has released official guidance to the public and businesses regarding its response here.
Our duty of care
We have a duty of care to all our staff and those who visit our premises, including clients.
As part of this obligation, we are doing everything in our power to stop the spread of the virus and taking a number of appropriate steps.
Staff members who come into contact with an infected person or that may have returned from a high-risk area will not be allowed to make clients visits or work in our office until they have been through a period of self-isolation, in line with the Government’s current advice, to ensure they do not have the virus.
Staff have also been asked to adhere to the Government guidelines in respect of standard basic hygiene processes. This includes:
- Coughing or sneezing into tissues that are disposed of
- Washing hands regularly for at least 20 seconds with soap and hot water
- Cleaning well-used surfaces regularly
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
We request that clients inform us if they, or anybody in their office or business premises, has had contact with an infected person or have returned from a high-risk area if we are due to visit them or they are due to visit us to ensure we can take the proper precautions.
If a member of our team is asked to self-isolate then it may be possible for them to work from home, thanks to the technology we employ within our practice. This should mean that you enjoy continuity of service from us.
Ongoing monitoring and actions
Government advice is changing regularly and therefore it may be that new recommendations or protection measures are implemented by us.
As previously mentioned, this could involve staff working remotely from home and doing more meetings by telephone rather than face-to-face.
We already have contingency plans in place to try and ensure that the essential services we provide will not be affected.
We hope that by putting measures in place early we can help to stop the spread of the virus and ensure that we can continue to support our clients.
If you have any queries regarding our preparations or procedures for the Coronavirus, please contact us.
