ARCHIVED - Murcia government recommends working from home as coronavirus continues to spread

Further measures will be weighed up over the next few days in the Costa Cálida

The regional government of Murcia has responded to the rising number of coronavirus cases – the latest reports place the total at 9 in the Region – by recommending that employees be allowed to work from home whenever possible.

This is a strategy being adopted in other parts of the country, especially Madrid, the Basque Country and La Rioja, and in Madrid on Tuesday the petrochemicals company Repsol announced that almost all of its 5,000 head office staff will be working from home as of Wednesday, following the lead taken by major companies such as Ernst & Young.

At the same time, the Murcia government has announced that it will continue to weigh up other possible courses of action over the next few days, and has not ruled out closing schools although at present it is not an option which is considered realistic given the relatively low incidence rate of Covid-19 in the Region. Manuel Villegas, the regional minister of health explains that the development of the epidemic is now at a critical point, while reiterating the need to remain calm and to make informed decisions: for example, he recommends avoiding travelling and attending events where a lot of people are present, including weddings and funerals.

What to do if you are in the Region of Murcia and believe you may have contracted the virus:

The regional government has set up a special helpline to supply information to members of the public (900 121212), and also urges people to call the 112 emergency services line if they suspect that they may have contracted the virus rather than going straight to hospital or to a medical centre. Medical staff will be sent to your home to test for the virus.

The Region’s public hospitals have limited the number of visitors to patients in the region's hospitals to just one visitor per patient.

Sensible precautions

The advice being issued to members of the public by medical authorities all over the world coincides on the following points:

- Wash hands frequently with either soap and water or a sanitiser gel

- Catch coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues – and throw the tissues away immediately after use before immediately washing your hands!

- If you don’t have a tissue, use your sleeve – and wash the item of clothing used at the next opportunity

- AVOID touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

- AVOID close contact with people who are unwell

- Don´t panic!

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