Safety Guideline for COVID-19

Updated: 1/Mar /2022

JICA Pakistan Office
■Common perception to bear in mind
① NONE of us can be immune from COVID-19.

 As seeing a dramatic surge of the infection, there should be so many chances

for infection. We will be continuously exposed to the risk until the vaccine is
administered.
 No matter how much confidence you have in health condition or physical
strength, you can be infected regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, religion or
professional career, although the extent of increasing in severity would be
different depending on the case.
② Must act assuming that you might carry the virus.

 COVID-19 does not always give you clear symptom. Even if you don’t have high fever or
coughing, you might already have been infected.
③ Must be responsible for own behavior.

 This is NOT the personal problem only to yourself: if contracting with the virus, you
could transmit it to your family or colleagues unconsciously.
 Even if following SOP given below, potential of infection cannot be completely eliminated
with this wide-spread of the virus in Pakistan. If you are unfortunately infected, the
JICA office will surely provide the best care to you for mitigation. ④ The infection risk
persistently remains
 Although the number of newly infected persons has been decreasing at least on the
surface and the society has returned to almost normal like ‘before Corona’, the
infection risk is NOT eliminated yet. Rather, there’s no surprise if the infection rate
suddenly elevates again.
■Important to know about COVID-19
☆There are two main routes for infection 1. ① Droplet
infection
□ Inhaling the virus contained in sneezing, coughing and spit by others through mouth or
nose. This means that you could be infected (or transmit) the virus when being in
crowds, talking with others in short distance.
□ WHO says amount of the virus in 5 minutes talk equals to coughing one time. ② Contact
infection
□ Getting the virus by touching your nose, eyes or mouth after touching somewhere on
which the virus is attached. WHO says that COVID-19 can survive up to 72 hours on
plastic and stainless steel, less than 4 hours on copper, less than 24 hours on
cardboard. ☆Symptom of COVID-19
□ Typical symptoms are fever (more than 37℃=98.6℉), dry coughing, breathing difficulties,
tiredness and sometimes feeling no taste and smelling.

1 Information from WHO and the Health Ministry of Japan, based on scientific evidence.
☆NOTE
□ The infection risk further increases when you are in place meeting following conditions
altogether: (i) lacking ventilation, (ii) crowded (iii) talking in short distance.
□ You could transmit the virus to others 2-3 days before the symptom appears.
□ The virus can be killed easily even with common household disinfectants (anti-virus
type).

☆With these perspectives, you must abide by the following SOP.

■SOP of JICA Pakistan Office
(1) Following the preventive measures given above both in your private and official time.

(a) Avoiding a meeting with others as much as possible.

(b) When having a necessity to meet someone, keep the social distance with others 2
meter (≒ 6.6 feet). Avoiding a crowded place.
(c) Trying to finish a talk with others within 15 minutes and avoid standing in just front of
them.
(d) Keeping your hands clean with soap and sanitizer. Washing carefully at least 20
seconds, preferably 1 minute. Gargling and keeping your mouth wet with mineral water
is also recommended.
(e) Not touching your nose, eyes and mouth with your hands.
(f) Wearing a mask2 especially when out of your home. NOT TAKING OFF when talking.
*Mask needs to be changed every day.
(g) Ventilating the room by opening windows and doors.

(2) Working in the office in rotation with three groups

(a) All of you are divided into three groups labelled Team A, B and C; each team is
composed of two-three staffs from each table section. *Please see the Team Member
List.
(b) The three teams come and office in turn from Mon-Fri (AM 9:00-PM 5:00). ‘A
calendar’ showing this rotation will be provided to all staffs per month.
(c) Having inevitable reasons to work in the office on the day not given to your team,
space and rooms below are available (1 person at maximum for each). But in this case,
you can stay for only minimum time. Before coming to the office, you are required to
inform by putting a message on WhatsApp group (All office staffs). *Please see the
Office Layout below.
 Meeting Room ④ = 1

 Working Space A = 1  Working Space B = 1

 Working Space C = 1 *where the communal PCs are placed.

2 Appropriate masks will be provided to every staffs by the JICA Office

(3) When coming and staying in the office, and going out with business purpose *Please Follow
（
1）
(a) If having the symptom (even if it’s mild) you are not allowed to go to the office and
must immediately inform to Tsuruoka san (if you cannot reach him, Hagiwara san or
Nishiya san are next options). Please report your body temperature, too. While you
need to stay at home, this is not regarded as leave.
(b) Two (2) staffs in one table-section at maximum are allowed to work in the office for
same time period and the two (2) staffs’ table must not be next to each other (they
can if there is a partition between them).
(c) If your table-section accidentally gets more than three (3) staffs, at least one of you
(basically, a staff exceptionally coming to the office) must work at other table or
meeting room.
(d) When using a meeting room with more than 2 people regardless of purpose, an air
circulator (fan) needs to be run with door opened.
(e) Lunch time is from 12:30-14:00. The meeting room behind the communal desktop PCs
is open to your lunch, and 2 persons for 30 minutes at maximum are allowed to eat with
social distance. You can also have it at your own desk or out of the office with social
distance.
(f) Keeping the doors opened for ventilation.

(g) Carefully washing your hands when arriving to the office. Before/After opening/closing
doors by touching knobs with hands, clean your hands with sanitizer. Gargling and
keeping your mouth wet with mineral water is also recommended.
(h) Keeping your hands clean with soap and/or sanitizer while you are in the office.
(i) Wearing a mask, and being less talkative as much as possible.

(j) When sitting on toilet seat, clean up with sanitizer after your use. Closing a lid of toilet
bowl when flashing. *the virus could exist in bodily waste.
(k) Trying to avoid inviting guests to the JICA office, and try to use web-meeting as much
as possible. If there is an unavoidable reason to have a meeting in the office, only two
rooms below are available. The time must be minimum, and the maximum participants
must be followed:
 Meeting Room ① = 4 persons

 Meeting Room ⑤ = 4 persons

Please avoid sitting in front of any participants. Wearing a mask, keeping social
distance, and running air circulator (fan) with a door opened are mandatory during the
meeting, too.

(l) In case your meeting planned in other organization does not sufficiently provide
preventive measures for COVID-19, having the meeting in JICA Office based on this
SOP can be your option.
 (m) When receiving documents or parcels, the meeting time must be minimum.

(n) Basically, working in time zone when Serena Business Complex’s ventilation system
does not work3 is not allowed.
(o) Two persons other than a driver can in the same car at maximum. Windows of front and
back seats need to be opened with 2 cm for ventilation while you are in the car. This is
true for even in a rainy day.4 JICA office cars prepare a sheet to shield seats between
front and back in case of bringing a positive patient.
(p) Waiting areas for the office drivers are their waiting room (2 persons at maximum), the
reception (2 persons) and Meeting Room ② (3 persons). Please use the sofas in
corridor, too, in need.
(4) When going to business trip *Please Follow（1） (a) Bringing an own sanitizer.

(b) Wearing a mask and/or face shield, especially when being in domestic flight.
(c) Trying to confirm and stay in a hotel which provides appropriate preventive measures
for COVID-19.
(d) Limiting a cleaning service for your room as less as possible.

(e) If having meal in hotel, it should be in a less crowded time zone. If possible, room
service or delivery food service are recommended.
(f) Windows of front and back seats need to be opened with 2 cm for ventilation and
keeping while you are in the car. This is true for even in a rainy day.

3 【Summer】 Mon-Friday 6:00-18:00／Saturday 6:00-14:00

【Winter】 Mon-Friday 8:00-18:00／Saturday 8:00-14:00
4 Air press will be installed so that passengers won’t get wet.
<Office Layout>

Drivers’
Waiting Room

Purpose Maximum Purpose Maximum

Meeting Room ① Meeting with guests 4 Working Space A For Staffs coming exceptionally 1
Meeting Room ② Waiting Room for Drivers Meet
ng Room ② For Staffs coming exceptionally 1
4
Working Space B
Meeting Room ④ For Staff coming exceptionally 2 Working Space C For Staffs coming exceptionally 1

Meeting Room ⑤ Meeting with guests 3 Drivers’ Room Waiting Room for Drivers 2

Meeting Room Internal Meeting and Lunch 3

Riffat s
Meeting Room
TV Conference Roo
Working Sp
 OR

Work

Spac

Meeting
Room ⑤

Meeti
(5) Office cleaning

(a) Cleaning and disinfecting the floor by Younis san and Shahbaz san five days a week. In
case others come to the office, a room used by them should be cleaned right after
they leave.
(b) Disinfecting inside of the office cars before driving. Keeping sanitizer in the car.
Ventilating the cars (Keeping the windows open).
(c) Confirming SOP for the security guards to follow.

(6) Storing items required to respond to emergencies and designating places for quarantine

(a) Procuring and storing items necessary (masks) for accompanying staffs or guests
showing flu-like symptom.

(7) Personal drivers and helpers

(a) Trying to avoid a talk with them as much as possible

(b) Keeping windows opened (to the extent with which security can be ensured) for
ventilation during their works.
(c) Instructing them to implement the preventive measures.

(8) Transportation

(a) Avoid using public transportations and taxi (including Careem and Uber service).

(b) Only in the case of your having two options (1. public transportation or 2. taxi), taxi
would be recommended.

(9) If experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and/or finding such persons you had deeply
communicated5 (including your family, friends, or neighbors)
(a) Immediately reporting to Tsuruoka san (if you cannot reach Tsuruoka san, the Security
Team=Hagiwara san or Nishiya san are next options) before going to hospital or
receiving
PCR test. This is mandatory. The JICA office would give instruction. Not allowed to
come to the office with your own judgement just because you feel recovered. You will
be approved to work in the office when meeting three conditions: (I) more than 72
hours have been passed since a decline of a fever without medicine for alleviation of
symptom,
(II) improvement in other major symptoms (Cough, Fatigue and Shortness of breath) is
confirmed, and (III) 10 days have been passed since the symptoms emerged. The final
decision is made by CR and the Security Team. Your condition, including body
temperature, needs to be reported to a contact person of the Security Team (to be

5 Having a more than 15-minutes talk in close range.

 assigned for each case) every day during the period in which you are not allowed to
come to the office.
(b) In case of taking PRC test, you must report the result to Tsuruoka san.