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April 19, 2020The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an enforcement memorandum instructing its inspectors to use discretion in enforcing injury and illness recordkeeping requirements for cases of COVID-19. The use of enforcement discretion does not apply to corrections, emergency services, healthcare, and law enforcement employers.
OSHA said employers should focus their efforts on establishing and maintaining good hygiene practices.
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus first identified in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019.
The agency acknowledged that some employers may have difficulty determining whether employees have contracted COVID-19 due to exposures at work.
Employers must record an illness in their Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (OSHA Form 300) if an employee has a confirmed illness that is work-related that results in death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another -
April 12, 2020All employers must revise their respiratory protection programs (RPPs) to include the circumstances under which the PPE is contaminated and not available for "extended use or reuse."
OSHA's newest interim guidance issued on April 3 concerns all American workers exposed to respiratory hazards along with healthcare personnel (HCP) on the front lines of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The memo follows a March 11 memorandum that allows healthcare employers to temporarily switch from a quantitative fit testing method to a qualitative testing method to preserve the integrity of N95 respirators.
"Due to the impact on workplace conditions caused by limited supplies of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), all employers should reassess their engineering controls, work practices, and administrative controls to identify any changes they can make to decrease the need for N95 respirators," the memorandum states.
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April 12, 2020Dubai: Following the launch of a new movement permit for Dubai, Dubai Media Office announced that police would remove all violations of the newly announced restrictions on movement detected by radars - this is limited to violations from the time of announcement of new restrictions on Saturday to the time of permit launch on Sunday.
The new permit facility was launched on Sunday for residents who wish to leave their home for work (in exempt vital sectors only) and for residents stepping out for essential shopping of grocery and medicines. On Saturday, Dubai had announced a 24-hour restriction on movement following the extension of the sterilisation drive for two weeks.
However, Dubai Media Office later updated the rules and said: "However,with regard to the exempt sectors and their employees,registration is not required,but they must obtain a letter from the employer -
April 12, 2020WHO and UNICEF today announced an agreement to work together on COVID-19 response, through the historic COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund powered by the United Nations Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation.
The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund has been set up to facilitate an unprecedented global response by supporting the WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. As part of the agreement, an initial portion of the money from the Fund – which currently stands at more than $127 million – will flow to UNICEF for its work with vulnerable children and communities all over the world.
“COVID-19 is an unprecedented pandemic requiring extraordinary global solidarity to urgently respond,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I’m pleased that UNICEF joined the Solidarity Response Fund. With their extensive experience both in fundraising and in implementing programmes, this partnership will help us to work together closely to save lives.”
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April 12, 2020Dubai: Residents who wish to move during the sanitation-related restrictions must apply for a movement permit, it was announced on Sunday. Dubai Media Office unveiled the new online permit facility following Dubai's Supreme Committee for Crisis and Disaster Management decision.
Residents who wish to leave home for essential purchases or emergencies must register on the website.
The media authority explained: "However, with regard to the exempt sectors and their employees, registration is not required, but they must obtain a letter from the employer stating their movement to&from work. The paper has to be presented if stopped by authorities. It can also be used to waive violations by radar. "
In a statement, the Committee explained that only individuals registering on the website will be allowed to leave home.
Those found violating the movements restrictions -
April 05, 2020DUBAI: Dubai enforced the UAE's first full lockdown on a district housing the emirate's famous gold and spice markets on Tuesday, to disinfect the normally bustling tourist and trade area as part of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
The United Arab Emirates has extended a daily overnight curfew for a nationwide disinfection drive to April 5, but Dubai announced late on Monday that a 24-hour curfew would be imposed on Al Ras district for two weeks starting Tuesday.
"I am glad they are doing this because it is for our protection," said one rice trader who works in Al Ras but resides in Sharjah emirate. The trader, who declined to be named, told Reuters he is now conducting his business online.
Dubai closed the main road entrances to Al Ras and halted public transport to the area, which abuts Dubai Creek, where dhow have been banned from transporting goods between Dubai and Iran, a regional epicentre for the virus.
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April 05, 2020Dubai: People leaving their homes during the daytime between 6am to 8pm in the UAE don’t need permits, officials have clarified.
The UAE Ministry of Interior said that ‘Tajawal’ service, a permit that provides essential travel around the country during the national disinfection programme, is only for people who go out between 8pm and 6am.
A Dubai Police official said that people who go out during the day are not required to register for the service.
“The permits are only during the national disinfection programme between 8pm to 6am,” said the official. “People can log in to the Ministry of Interior website or through the smart application to get the permit. During the day people don’t need the permit,” the official added.
However, the permit issued during the national sterlisation program needs to be renewed everyday.
The permit includes -
April 05, 2020
Green line stations Al Ras, Palm Deira and Baniyas Square shut as a health and safety precaution due to coronavirus.
Al Ras, Palm Deira and Baniyas Square Dubai Metro stations on the green line will be closed for two weeks from today amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced.
In a tweet, the RTA said the closures were being taken "in line with precautionary measures to ensure the highest levels of health and safety".
The announcement comes shortly after Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management announced increased restrictions on movement in the Al Ras area of Dubai for two weeks from Tuesday, March 31 to facilitate enhanced sterilisation procedures.
Dubai Health Authority teams will provide all essential supplies to the residents of the area during the two-week period, Dubai Police -
April 05, 2020The COVID-19 pandemic is straining health systems worldwide. The rapidly increasing demand on health facilities and health care workers threatens to leave some health systems overstretched and unable to operate effectively.
Previous outbreaks have demonstrated that when health systems are overwhelmed, mortality from vaccine-preventable and other treatable conditions can also increase dramatically. During the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, the increased number of deaths caused by measles, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis attributable to health system failures exceeded deaths from Ebola [1,2].
“The best defense against any outbreak is a strong health system,” stressed WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “COVID-19 is revealing how fragile many of the world’s health systems and services are, forcing countries to make difficult choices on how to best meet the needs of their people.”
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