Stay one step ahead with regular Covid-19 pandemic updates from Massmart and the South African Government.
09 June 2020
26 May 2020
7 May 2020
6 May 2020
29 April 2020
23 April 2020
16 April 2020
15 April 2020
14 April 2020
7 April 2020
3 April 2020
2 April 2020
30 March 2020
Massmart update
Massmart has announced a price freeze on all essential goods, except for fresh meat and produce, in all Makro, Game, Cambridge Food and Cash and Carry stores for the duration of the 21-day lockdown.
Click here to read the full article.
Government Update
20 March 2020
South African Government update
- Yesterday, the South African Government released a Consumer and Customer Protection Gazette with regulations on purchasing limits of 22 basic food and consumer products, including toilet paper, hand sanitiser, baby formula, disposable nappies, long-life milk, canned and frozen vegetables and more. The limits will be at the discretion of individual retailers. The gazette also states that retailers must prominently display notices, in every store, that indicate the purchasing limits of these products.
- Yesterday, the South African Reserve Bank announced a repo rate cut of 1%, from 6.25% to 5.25%.
Africa Update
Massmart Update
- Massmart currently has no diagnosed cases of COVID-19 within the Group.
- Massmart has publicly expressed its support of the consultative approach and measures announced by the Department of Trade and Industry yesterday to ensure the availability of high demand products for all South Africans.
- Massmart is announcing the following on our in-store public announcement system from today: “Please be aware that this store has customer purchasing limits in place to prevent panic buying. We and the retail industry as a whole are working with government and suppliers to ensure affordable availability of high demand lines for pay day and month end purchases.”
- Massmart has advised suppliers and third party vendors who have employees in our stores to follow basic hygiene measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Massmart has introduced new liquor trading hours that align with the government’s new regulations. The sale of alcohol will only be permissible until 6pm during weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Makro and Game are in the process of implementing floor stickers to ensure a safe social distance between shoppers. Useful tip – the average trolley is 1.5m long which is roughly the recommended safe social distance.
Health Advisory
The following are some social distancing tips that might be helpful to you:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:How long will the COVID-19 special leave benefit for pregnant associates last?
A: It is difficult to be specific but we will continue to review this leave benefit on an ongoing basis and keep you informed.
Q: What must I do if my store runs out of sanitiser?
A: Please notify your Store Manager immediately and send an email to talktous@massmart.co.za and we will follow this up immediately. Don’t forget to include the name of your store.
Q: Does the Massmart Medical Aid scheme cover COVID-19 testing?
A: Yes, COVID-19 testing is provided on both the Massmart Health Plan and Massmart truCARE. If you feel symptomatic you are advised to do the following based on your health and wellness package:
- Massmart Health Plan Network or Essential packages – Call your nominated doctor. If you are diagnosed as symptomatic, you will be referred for testing.
- Massmart Health Plan Choice package – Call a doctor of your choice. If you are diagnosed as symptomatic, you will be referred for testing.
- TruCare – Call your allocated doctor. If you are diagnosed as symptomatic, you will be referred for testing.
19 March 2020
South African Government update
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa had not been updated at the time of releasing this update. The South African government has set out regulations to stop the further spread of the virus and minimise it’s effects. Anyone found in violation may be fined or imprisoned:
Africa Update
Nigeria bans travel from 13 countries
The Nigerian government has banned travel from 13 high risk countries and advised citizens to avoid travelling to these regions. The ban starts on Friday, 20 March 2020 and will be in place for at least 4 weeks.
Ghana closes schools and cancels public gatherings
The Ghanaian government has imposed a ban on all public gatherings for 4 weeks starting from Monday, 16th March 2020. The government has also shut down all schools and universities for the next four weeks.
Kenya announces measures to contain COVID-19
Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta announced measures aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19, including restricting travel to Kenya from all countries with reported coronavirus cases. Schools were closed on Monday, 16 March 2020 until further notice. Kenyatta also announced that government and business employees will work from home with the exception of essential services.
Botswana announces closure of all institutions of learning and implements travel bans
All institutions of learning will be closed with effect from 23 March 2020. All individuals from identified high risk countries will not be allowed entry into Botswana. Public gatherings of more than 100 people have been banned for 30 days.
Massmart Update
- Massmart currently has no diagnosed cases of COVID-19 within the Group.
- Massmart has secured supply of additional hand sanitiser from a new supplier and we expect that this will significantly improve availability toward the end of the week of 23 March 2020.
- Massmart is, to ensure associate safety, prioritising sanitiser for use in stores before putting it on sale to customers.
- Massmart is announcing the following on our in-store public announcement system from today: “This is an important health message. As you continue to shop, please remember to try and maintain a safe social distance of at least 2 metres between yourself, fellow shoppers and staff, particularly in busy areas like queues. This is in line with the COVID-19 safe social distancing guidelines provided by the World Health Organization.”
- Today, 19 March, the Chief Executives of Massmart, Pick n Pay, Shoprite Checkers, Spar and Woolworths participated in a conference call hosted by Trade & Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel and that also included the Competition Commissioner and the National Consumer Commissioner.
During the call, the Minister highlighted pro-active measures that government is implementing to ensure affordable availability for in-demand essential consumer products, particularly to support pay day and month end shopping. The measures include applying customer purchasing limits on in-demand products and close price monitoring, by the National Consumer Commission and the Competition Commission. The retail Chief Executive Officers who participated in the call expressed their unambiguous support for the measures and undertook to work with suppliers to deliver affordable product availability with particular emphasis on pay day and month end consumer demand. They reinforced that the consumer supply chain is robust and that there is no need for panic buying which creates unnecessary artificial supply shortages.
Health Advisory
Of the active COVID-19 cases worldwide, 95% of infected individuals display mild conditions while 5% are more severe. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure, so it is important to quarantine yourself if you have been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Note the following definition:
“Quarantine” separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to an infectious
disease to see if they become sick.
If you begin to display mild symptoms such as a dry cough, fever and fatigue, or have been diagnosed
with COVID-19, follow the steps below to help minimise the spread of the virus:
- Call a medical pracitioner immediately and follow advice
- Stay home and rest
- Separate yourself from other people in your home (this is known as home isolation)
- Wear a facemask to prevent spreading the virus
- Cover your coughs and sneezes
- Wash your hands often
- Avoid sharing personal household items
- Sanitise all “high-touch” surfaces daily
Remember, if you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 or develop symptoms, call your
healthcare practitioner for medical advice immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why would I need to go into self-isolation if I have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19?
A: Self-isolation is an effective precautionary measure to protect those around you from contracting COVID-19. Coronaviruses usually take two to ten days before symptoms of infection appear. You could be infected without feeling or showing any symptoms and spread the virus unknowingly. Therefore, to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus before symptoms appear, you should self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the date of contact.
Q: Will face masks and gloves be issued to associates to prevent the spread of COVID-19?
A: The World Health Organization has advised that face masks and gloves are not an effective way to minimise the risk of contracting COVID-19. Preventative advice is to therefore regularly sanitise your hands and to avoid touching your face.
18 March 2020
In-store safe social distancing announcement
This is an important health message.
As you continue to shop, please remember to try and maintain a safe social distance of at least 2 metres between yourself, fellow shoppers and staff, particularly in busy areas like queues.
This is in line with the COVID-19 safe social distancing guidelines provided by the World Health Organisation.
South African Government update
On Sunday 16 March 2020, President Ramaphosa announced that the COVID-19 outbreak has been declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act. As of this morning, 18 March 2020, South Africa now has 116 confirmed cases of COVID-19. This means that there has been an increase of 31 new cases from yesterday.
Massmart update
- Massmart has restricted all international and domestic travel for non-essential purposes. Domestic business travel by car requires functional Executive approval. Local business air travel must be approved by either the Massmart Retail or Massmart Wholesale Chief Executives. International business travel must be approved by the Massmart Group CEO.
- Massmart has communicated guidance to all associates in a question and answer format that describes requirements in cases where you are; directly exposed to someone who is diagnosed with COVID-19, you develop COVID-19 symptoms, you are placed in COVID-19 quarantine by a medical doctor or you are diagnosed with COVID-19. It is most important that in all of these cases you call a medical doctor for advice and that you immediately notify your line manager of your situation. If you did not receive this question and answer document then please contact talktous@massmart.co.za.
- Massmart has implemented a decision to provide pregnant associates across the Group with paid
COVID-19 special leave. Please talk to your Human Resources business partner if you are pregnant
and want to apply for this benefit. - Massmart has revised its guidance on the size of face-to-face meetings from a maximum of 25
participants, to a maximum of ten participants. In addition you must ensure a minimum distance of
about two meters between associates in meetings. - Massmart has developed an in-store public announcement that should be made hourly and that
advises customers in our stores to remember to maintain the recommended distance of about 2 meters between other shoppers and store associates. - Massmart is liaising closely with suppliers to secure high demand products for our customers.
We are especially concerned with ensuring that products are still affordable and available for
customers at month end.
Health Advisory
To prevent contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus, please prioritise the following:
- Practice social distancing
Minimising contact with people and maintaining a distance of at least 2 meters between you and
others reduces the risk of your contracting the virus as well as spreading it. - Hand cleaning
Wash your hands frequently and for at least 20 seconds, remembering to wash all sections of the
hand with soap and dry them fully. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based sanitiser
that is at least 60% alcohol. - Contact a medical professional if you are not feeling well
If you start to develop symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as fever, cough, fatigue or sore
throat immediately call a doctor and seek medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: We don’t have enough hand sanitisers for staff in our office/RDC/store, what should we do?
A: Due to the high demand for alcohol-based sanitisers we can occasionally run low on supply, however we do try as much as possible to keep our stocks replenished. We will immediately conduct a survey with all store managers to identify and prioritise stores that don’t have access to hand sanitisers.
Q: Does the COVID-19 leave benefit for pregnant associates apply to flexi and permanent store associates too?
A: Massmart has taken the decision to allow all pregnant associates, whether flexi or permanent to stay at home as part of the special leave benefit. Note that the company may require associates to work remotely from home whilst they are on leave.
Informative websites you can visit
How to practice social distancing to minimise the risk of being exposed to COVID-19
COVID-19 is spread from person to person through
- Respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths and noses of people who are nearby and possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
- Touching objects or surfaces that have infected respiratory droplets from a cough or sneeze of a person with COVID-19, and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
Take extra measures to put distance between yourself and other people to reduce your risk of being exposed to COVID-19. The more personal space between you and others, the harder it is for COVID-19 to spread.
Practice the following social distancing behaviours to slow the spread of the virus:
Avoid direct physical contact with others (avoid handshaking, hugging and kissing).
Stay at home if you are sick.
Avoid crowded public places where close contact with others may occur.
Limit the number of people at face-to-face meetings as much as possible (never more than 10 people).
Maintain a safe social distance of at least 2 metres between yourself and others.
When possible, use email, phone calls or Zoom instead of face-to-face meetings.
17 March 2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – here’s what we know
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe respiratory diseases. The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease 2019 which is abbreviated as “COVID-19”. This new disease was unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
Who is most at risk?
Everyone is at risk however older adults and people who have existing medical conditions seem to be at higher risk.
How Covid19 spreads
Person-to-person
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person:
- Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 2 meters)
- Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes
These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby and possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
Contact with contaminated surfaces or objects
You can get COVID-19 by touching objects or surfaces that have been infected by respiratory droplets from a cough or sneeze of a person with COVID-19, and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
How to protect yourself
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Clean & disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
If you cannot quickly find a tissue to sneeze or cough into, sneeze into the crook of your elbow.
Avoid close contact with people (keep a distance of at least 2 metres).
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