STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR COVID-19

Tanzania is currently safe and free from COVID-19. Safe travelers who visit Tanzania find no COVID-19 here; but still, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been designed to comply with the instructions issued by the Tanzanian Government and the World Health Organization, while the company carries out its day-to-day operations as a provider of safari and other trips. The objective of these SOPs is to allow Mikkwild Safari guests and staff to enjoy maximum protection during the time of COVID-19 period, while also helping Tanzania to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Mikkwild Safari acknowledges that it has a duty to communicate the applicable Tanzanian regulations to its booking agencies, and to remind both its staff and guests of all relevant protective and preventative practices.

Designated COVID-19 Liaison Officer:

Mikkwild Safari will appoint a COVID-19 Liaison Officer, based at the company’s Head Office. This designated person will be the point of contact with the relevant Tanzanian Government Ministry. In addition, this officer will have the following responsibilities:

  • To keep up-to-date with all Tanzanian Government requirements, protocols, preventative measures, policies, and procedures in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • To keep up-to-date as to the identity and location of all designated approved hospitals, medical clinics, and mobile clinics in Tanzania for the testing and treatment of COVID-19
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all sanitizing and hygiene procedures for each company location and vehicle in which the company operates
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor any special sanitizing and cleaning procedures as appropriate
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all limits to capacity for each company location and vehicle in which the company operates
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all physical/social distancing requirements for each company location and vehicle in which the company operates
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all COVID-19 procedures relevant to Mikkwild Safari guests for each company location and vehicle in which the company operates
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all COVID-19 procedures relevant to Mikkwild Safari staff for each company location and vehicle in which the company operates
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all COVID-19 procedures for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) relevant to Mikkwild Safari guests for each company location and vehicle in which the company operates
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all COVID-19 procedures for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) relevant to Mikkwild Safari staff for each company location and vehicle in which the company operates
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all COVID-19 procedures for dealing with guests exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, or suspected of having COVID-19
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all COVID-19 procedures for dealing with staff exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, or suspected of having COVID-19
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all health records forMikkwild Safari guests
  • To develop, maintain, implement, and monitor all health records for Mikkwild Safari staff
  • To develop, maintain and monitor records of all cleaning and sanitizing records for each company location and vehicle in which the company operates
  • To ensure the adequacy of stocks of all PPE materials for guests and staff at all times for each company location and vehicle in which the company operates
  • Ensure that all guests are fully aware of all COVID-19 procedures and are provided with sufficient information in respect of such procedures
  • To ensure that all staff are fully trained in and aware of all COVID-19 procedures and are provided with sufficient information in respect of such procedures; to ensure that all training is regularly updated and that retraining is carried out where necessary
  • To liaise with any external body, including Government departments or ministries as necessary, in respect of their requirements
  • To ensure that all notices as required by the Tanzanian Government are correctly displayed in the necessary places, in particular with contact details of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, the MoH CDGEC & PORALG

Temperature Monitoring of Guests and Staff:

Temperatures of all guests will be taken on arrival, at the start of their Mikkwild Safari trip. (Depending on the method and place of arrival, this might be at the airport, hotel, or other appropriate location.) Temperatures of guests will then be taken each day after breakfast, for the duration of the guest’s stay, by the driver-guide. On each occasion, a non-contact thermometer will be used and the temperature will be recorded. Any temperature of 37.5 C or above requires action. For staff, temperatures will be taken each time they begin a shift or finish a shift: a non-contact thermometer will be used and all temperatures will be recorded.

In the event that a guest or staff member registers a temperature of 37.5 C or above, the procedures described in section 9, below, must be followed immediately.

 

Staff Training:

Mikkwild Safari is committed to providing comprehensive training for its entire staff in respect of COVID-19, its effects, and the measures necessary to detect it prevent its spread and deal with it whenever it arises. Mikkwild Safari is also committed to providing further training, as and when necessary, as the COVID-19 situation develops and evolves. Additional, specific training may be required for certain staff depending on the type of work they perform or the locations in which they work, but the following general areas of COVID-19 training are appropriate to all Mikkwild Safari staff:

  • How the virus is spread and how to minimize the risks of it doing so
  • How long it can survive on various surfaces
  • How to identify its symptoms
  • How to operate safely in the workplace
  • How and when to correctly use PPE
  • How and when to wash hands and sanitize (see section 6, below)
  • Physical distancing to protect guests and co-workers
  • How to change into and out of uniforms
  • How to be aware of the importance of temperature testing
  • PPE (Personal Protective Equipment

 

Guests must wear a mask at all times, with the following exceptions: 

  • When in their own bedroom at their accommodation
  • When eating and drinking

 

Mikkwild Safari will carry a stock of spare masks, to provide to guests if they do not have their own. Each guest will be given three approved cloth masks per trip, free of charge. Additional masks can be purchased by guests if required. Masks of the disposable variety must be properly disposed of in biohazard containers. They must be replaced after each meal.

Staff must wear masks at all times, except when eating and drinking. Mikkwild Safari will be responsible for providing an adequate supply of masks, either of the disposable variety or approved cloth masks, with a minimum of three cloth masks (if used) for each staff member. This allows the staff member to wear a mask, have another mask being laundered and the third one as a spare one ready for the following working day. For certain specific tasks, gloves may be required: separate advice will be provided on this. The disposal of all PPE must be carried out in compliance with all relevant Tanzanian Health and Safety regulations.

 

Sanitizing & Hygiene Practices:

Proper frequent hand washing and sanitizing, together with the thorough and regular/frequent sanitizing of surfaces, are hugely important in preventing the spread of COVID-19. This applies both to guests and staff. Staff members who use surfaces such as desks, computers, counters, etc are responsible for sanitizing these every 15 minutes, or each time after their use by another person.

Hands.
Guests will be required to sanitize their hands on arrival at any establishment – such as accommodation – or onboard any vehicle. Mikkwild Safari will be responsible for providing appropriate sanitizer for guests at all its locations and vehicles. Individual bottles of sanitizer will be provided to each guest and should be used after they have handled any surface or handled cash, luggage, food, and drink.

Luggage.
Staff handling luggage should sanitize their hands immediately before and after doing so.

Handling cash.
Wherever possible, guests should make payments without using cash. If this is unavoidable, then any guest or staff member handling cash should sanitize their hands immediately afterward.

Minimizing contact with surfaces.
Wherever possible, objects which are non-essential should be removed from locations and vehicles to minimize contact by guests and staff. Examples of these might be magazines, books, newspapers, games, and ‘softs’ such as cushions, rugs, blankets, etc. Where these are then provided on request by guests, they should be sanitized both before and after use by the guest.

Physical Distancing & Capacity Controls:

Physical Distancing measures play a vital part in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Bra Venture Africa strives to keep a distance of 1.5 meters between persons in public and back-of-house areas, though 2 meters is preferable. For guests, this minimum distance should be maintained in all arrival and departure areas, at picnic sites, park entrances, game drives, shops, viewpoints, and attractions such as the Olduvai Gorge Centre. Staff should also maintain the recommended distance at these places, but also in the Mikkwild Safari Head Office, vehicle workshop, and other work areas.

With respect to safari vehicles, family groups or small groups of friends traveling together can share one vehicle.

Staff must be vigilant at areas where crowds may gather such as visitor attractions, viewpoints, village tours, or restaurants, and ensure that a build-up of people in an enclosed space does not threaten the requirements of physical distancing measures. It may be necessary on occasion to temporarily restrict access of guests to such places to achieve this.

Vehicle Cleaning:

Special attention must be paid to safari vehicles, as guests spend much time in close contact with each other and the vehicles contain many surfaces with which both guests and staff come into close contact. The following procedures should be followed:

  • Any unnecessary objects should be removed from the vehicles, to lessen the number of surfaces with which guests and staff might make contact. (Examples might be books, magazines, games, etc)
  • Hand sanitizer should be available at all times for guests to use frequently when returning to the vehicle after meal stops, visits to viewpoints, visitor attractions, etc
  • Each guest should be provided with their own water bottle, binoculars, pen and paper, snacks, etc for their exclusive use. (Sharing should be avoided.)
  • Each vehicle should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized every evening, paying particular attention to door handles and other high-contact areas.
  • No access should be allowed to the vehicles by unauthorized personnel (eg, airport porters, hotel or camp staff)
  • Any hotel or camp staff helping with the guests’ luggage should use sanitizer before handling it (this should always be observed by the Mikkwild Safari guide)
  • At the end of each safari trip, each vehicle should be deep-cleaned, by Bra Venture Africa staff wearing appropriate PPE. Any removable items should be removed from the vehicle, cleaned, and then put back

Office Staff:

In general, the requirements of this Standard Operating Procedure will apply to office-based staff.

Wherever it is practicable, office-based staff will be encouraged to work at home. Mikkwild Safari will put measures in place within the office to limit the number of staff working in the office at any one time, through staff rotas that stagger the staff shifts. Physical distancing measures will also be put in place to separate staff, with Perspex screens installed wherever possible between workstations. Desks, phones, computers, headsets, and other equipment will be dedicated to each individual, with no sharing or hot-desking.

  • Any superfluous surfaces should be taped off or removed, to minimize contact. All surfaces will be regularly sanitized.
  • Staff will be encouraged to sanitize their hands frequently throughout the day and sanitizer will be provided by Mikkwild Safari to enable this.
  • The office will be ventilated as much as possible, either by open windows or air- conditioning.

Guests or Staff Who Display COVID-19 Symptoms:

For the areas in which Mikkwild Safari operates, contact details of designated approved hospitals, medical clinics, mobile clinics, doctors, testing centers, and pharmacies in Tanzania for the testing and treatment of COVID-19 should be clearly displayed in all locations and vehicles operated byMikkwild Safari. All staff should be made aware of these during their training. Also as part of their training, all Mikkwild Safari staff should be made familiar with basic procedures to follow in the event of a guest or colleague displaying COVID-19 symptoms. However, the COVID-19 Liaison Officer should be designated at all times to be responsible for coordinating and managing Mikkwild Safari response to any guest or staff member who displays symptoms or registers a high temperature, or indeed a positive test result.

A test should be carried out without delay for any guest or staff member exhibiting symptoms. This then allows the Mikkwild Safari operation to continue safely as soon as possible.

Guests displaying symptoms on arrival, but before pick-up/check-in:

Any guest displaying symptoms on arrival should be requested to return home and follow their own country’s advice when they do so. If symptoms on arrival are severe, however, a doctor should be consulted without delay.

  • Bra Venture Africa will assist in facilitating the guest’s return home.
  • In the event that a return home is not possible, the guest must be isolated in a COVID-19 isolation unit or designated COVID-19 hotel room.
  • Any vehicle used in the transport of any such guest must be thoroughly deep-cleaned after use.

Monitoring of clients with symptoms:

  • Any guest with COVID-19 symptoms should, wherever possible, be isolated in a single-occupancy room with a private bathroom and attended to by designated staff wearing full PPE (eye protectors/visors, gowns, and disposable, single-use gloves which must be disposed of after each contact.) Any non-essential items should be removed from the isolation room, to minimize contact.
  • The guest will not be allowed to leave the room, and meals will be served in the room. In the vent that the guest’s symptoms are severe, get worse, or last, for more than a day, a doctor should be consulted.
  • Depending on the doctor’s assessment, the guest will be sent for a COVID-19 test, recommended to continue the period of isolation, or sent to be admitted to a hospital.
  • Any vehicle in which the guest has traveled must be deep-cleaned and decontaminated.
  • If Mikkwild Safari is notified through tracing that a past guest has subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, then vehicles or other areas used by that guest must be decontaminated.
  • Any vehicle which has been used to transport a guest who has shown symptoms or been confirmed as having had COVID-19 can, if possible, be left unused for between 5 and 7 days before being deep-cleaned and decontaminated. The vehicle should not be accessed by anyone during that period.
  • All waste materials which have been used in taking care of, serving (with drinks, meals, etc), or cleaning areas used by those who have shown symptoms must be disposed of in biohazard disposal bags or containers. These must also be used for the disposal of all PPE used by either staff or guests.
  • Any staff or fellow travelers who have been in contact with any guest who has tested positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate for 14 days either at home or in a designated establishment

Guests’ Medical Declaration Form:

All guests will be required by Mikkwild Safari to complete a compulsory Medical Declaration Form. A form must be completed for each individual guest and this will be sent to each guest by our Health and Safety Department, one month prior to the guest’s arrival in Tanzania. The form will be completed and signed and will include the following information for each guest:

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