After having witnessed a stabilization and control of the spread of the disease, “it is necessary to gradually prepare for the resumption of economic and social activity, in strict compliance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) and the other competent authorities ”, refers to the document, released by the Government.

“It is in this context that the adoption of a Guide to Good Practices is considered essential, as an instrument of additional self-regulation to the compliance with current rules and provisions”, which aims to guide the performance of economic operators in the sectors of commerce and services for the “adoption of measures more appropriate to the safety, protection and health of workers, customers and suppliers ”, the document emphasizes, which results from a cooperation protocol signed between the DGS and the Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal.

According to the Guide to Good Practices for the Sectors of Commerce and Services, companies, or those responsible for the management of establishments, must, in conjunction with the occupational health and safety services, prepare or revise their contingency plan for the covid -19 adapted for the current phase, in which infection prevention and control procedures must be adopted, as well as the detection and surveillance of possible cases.

“Contingency measures, including the prevention of covid-19, must be subject to consultation with workers' representatives, or in their absence to workers themselves and communicated to all workers, employees, customers, suppliers and partners, through electronic means available, and be posted in a visible place ”, refer the entities.

All workers must be duly informed about the implementation of the adopted prevention plan and those responsible for the management of the establishments must ensure that all employees comply with hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, physical distance and the use of masks ( if applicable).

The company must arrange for an assessment by Medicine at Work, of all people who have a risk factor prior to their resumption of work, and take appropriate protective measures for workers subject to a special duty of protection.

“If any of the workers correspond to the group subject to a duty of special protection”, as in the case of pregnant workers, chronically ill people, people over 65 years old, their position of direct contact with the public should be rethought and reallocate it to other functions or, when possible, teleworking.

Workers should be informed of what to do if they become ill and know the signs and symptoms of covid-19 to self-monitor symptoms.

In case of symptoms, the employee must immediately inform his boss, without putting him at risk, and remain in an "isolation" area.

To restrict direct contact with confirmed and / or suspected cases, companies must create isolation areas.

Companies should also adopt access and establishment measures to ensure the safety of workers and customers, such as keeping the door open, if possible, to minimize contact with the handles and promote natural ventilation of the spaces or establish effective measures hygiene.

The accesses must be managed in order to avoid the concentration of people at the entrance of the establishment or waiting situations inside, always guaranteeing a physical distance of at least two meters, and prohibiting forms of compliance that involve physical contact.

The entities must make masks or visors available to all workers and inform customers about the mandatory use, as well as alcohol and gel in all entrances and exits of establishments and in different locations inside.