As the world begins to travel again and our property reopening for service, we would like to introduce you to some of the measures we are taking to safeguard your health, safety and wellbeing. We are here, ready to receive you or your guests while we continue to ensure those currently with us are looked after, safely within government guidelines.
We are adhering to advice provided by the W.H.O and local authorities and will continue to do so as daily situations unfold.
We require all our guests to complete the following risk assessment to enable us evaluate how best to ensure your safety.
Travellers should adhere to strict hygiene measures, wash hands with soap and water regularly, and/or use alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Touching the face with unwashed hands should be avoided. Travellers should avoid contact with sick persons, in particular those with respiratory symptoms and fever. It should be emphasised that older people and those with underlying health conditions should take these precautionary measures very seriously. Travellers who develop any symptoms during or after travel should self-isolate; those developing acute respiratory symptoms within 14 days upon return should be advised to seek immediate medical advice, ideally by phone first to their national healthcare provider.
The risk of being infected on an airplane cannot be excluded, but is currently considered to be low for an individual traveller. The risk of being infected in an airport is similar to that of any other place where many people gather. If it is established that a COVID-19 case has been on an airplane, other passengers who were at risk (as defined by how near they were seated to the infected passenger) will be contacted by public health authorities. Should you have questions about a flight you have taken, please contact your local health authority for advice.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has recommended measures to be taken by national authorities, such as thorough disinfecting and cleaning of aircraft after each flight serving high-risk destinations. EASA also recommended that airlines operating on all routes step up the frequency of cleaning, disinfect as a preventative measure and ensure full disinfection of any aircraft which has carried a passenger who was suspected or confirmed as being infected with COVID-19. Airport operators should similarly disinfect terminals regularly.
There is evidence that checking people at the airport by reading their skin temperature (known as entry screening) is not very effective in preventing the spread of the virus, especially when people do not have symptoms. It is generally considered more useful to provide those arriving at airports with clear information explaining what to do if they develop symptoms after arrival.
Like any other object, coins and banknotes can be potentially contaminated with SARS-CoV-2. A study by van Doremalen et al. published by The New England Journal of Medicine reported that the environmental stability of the causal agent of COVID-19 (i.e. SARS-CoV-2) is up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to two to three days on stainless steel. A pre-printed publication by Chin et al. describes detectable levels of infectious virus recovered from banknotes up to two days after inoculation and up to four days on stainless steel. These are findings from experiments in a controlled environment and should be interpreted with caution when translated to a real-life environment. In summary, it is possible that SARS-CoV-2 survives on banknotes and coins in real-life conditions; depending on the material properties and environmental conditions, contamination may persist for a variable period of time.
There is currently no evidence to confirm or rule out that COVID-19 can be transmitted through coins or banknotes. Just like doorknobs and handrails in public places, coins and banknotes are touched by a large number of people. Thorough hand washing with soap and water or use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers – especially before eating, drinking or smoking – and avoidance of touching the face, eyes and mouth is recommended after physical contact with frequently touched objects, including banknotes and coins.
Current advice for testing depends on the stage of the outbreak in the country or area where you live. Testing approaches will be adapted to the situation at national and local level. National authorities may decide to test only subgroups of suspected cases based on the national capacity to test, the availability of necessary equipment for testing, the level of community transmission of COVID-19, or other criteria.
As a resource conscious approach, ECDC has suggested that national authorities may consider prioritising testing in the following groups:
No, there is no more reason for people suffering from pollen allergy to self-isolate if they develop their typical hay-fever symptoms than for anyone else. They should continue following the general guidance for physical distancing and seek medical advice if their symptoms get worse, if they develop fever or progressive difficulty breathing.
Influenza and the virus that causes COVID-19 are two very different viruses and the seasonal influenza vaccine will not protect against COVID-19.
The virus enters your body via your eyes, nose and/or mouth, so it is important to avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
Washing of hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or cleaning hands thoroughly with alcohol-based solutions, gels or tissues is recommended in all settings. It is also recommended to stay one metre or more away from people infected with COVID-19 who are showing symptoms, to reduce the risk of infection through respiratory droplets.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue. If you use a tissue, dispose of it carefully after a single use
• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Stay one metre or more away from people to reduce the risk of spreading the virus through respiratory droplets.
• Wear face masks
If you feel unwell, stay at home. If you develop any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, you should immediately call your healthcare provider for advice.
If you are infected, the use of surgical face masks may reduce the risk of you infecting other people. On the other hand there is no evidence that face masks will effectively prevent you from becoming infected with the virus. In fact, it is possible that the use of face masks may even increase the risk of infection due to a false sense of security and increased contact between hands, mouth and eyes while wearing them. The inappropriate use of masks also may increase the risk of infection.
Follow the guidelines of the public health authorities in your area on the steps to take or call the local COVID-19 helpline which for instance is 111 for the UK.
The stay-at-home and physical distancing measures that have been imposed throughout the EU/EEA and the UK are highly disruptive to society, both economically and socially, and there is very wide agreement that they should be lifted as soon as it is safe to do so. However, lifting the measures too early or too quickly carries the risk of a rapid return to high infection rates, and this could overwhelm the health system while causing high levels of illness and many deaths. The Joint European Roadmap towards lifting COVID-19 containment measures addresses this issue by providing the framework for an economic and social recovery plan for the EU alongside a set of public health principles that are aimed at minimising the risk of a resurgence in the number of cases. Should a resurgence occur, the stay-at-home and physical distancing measures may need to be put in place again.
It is increasingly recognised that we will be living with COVID-19 for many months, or even years. This disease will continue to affect our lives for some time to come, and we all need to prepare mentally for that.
Each EU/EEA country and the UK have dedicated websites with information for the public on COVID-19 and on the national situation.
Consult with your national authorities to get advice tailored for your setting.
Disclaimer: FAQs sourced from ECDC
