IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR BUSINESS OWNERS AND OPERATORS, TUESDAY 8 MARCH
Dear members, we wish to reassure you that we are doing all we can to get the correct and true information from the Ministry of Health to you so that you can make decisions accordingly.
We encourage those of you who are not following VCCI on Facebook to do so, where we are posting updates regularly. We also encourage you to follow Vanuatu Business Resilience Councils’ Facebook to receive regular updates from Chair Glen Craig.
Can you operate in Alert Level 3?
We are now in Alert Level 3. For private businesses, prohibitions that continue to apply on Efate and its Offshore Islands include:
- all workplaces (other than workplaces providing essential services) are closed and must not require any employee to attend the workplace; and
- All essential services that operate must enforce strict physical distancing of at least 1 meter and observe all COVID-19 protocols at all times. There is a restriction to the movement of people into essential services venues. A maximum of five (5) customers are allowed in an essential service facility at any given time with a decreased turnover time for services provided.
A list of Government approved Essential Services can be found here: Essential-Businesses-and-support-businesses.pdf (vcci.vu)
We recommend you regularly check in to the COVID-19 website for updates: https://covid19.gov.vu/index.php/updates/press-releases/
Legal advice for Employers during COVID-19 Lockdown
VCCI has sought legal advice to create the attached set of Employment Guidelines related to COVID-19.
The guidelines are based on the current laws, regulations and orders in place in Vanuatu, and cover the following topics:
- Can I require my employees to be vaccinated?
- Can I terminate my employees if they refuse to be vaccinated?
- Can I stop people from entering my business if they are not vaccinated?
- If we have community transmissions, what are my responsibilities towards ‘at-risk’ employees e.g. elderly, pregnant or underlying illnesses?
- What are my responsibilities towards my employees during a lockdown?
- What happens if one of my employees cannot work because they have COVID-19?
- What happens if one of my employees cannot work because they are isolating?
Click here to download a copy of the Employment Guidelines.
Important Fact Sheets from the Ministry of Health
If you or someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19
If you or someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19, they need to isolate immediately. Isolation means staying away from everyone else in your household. Isolation is needed to stop the infected person from coming into contact with other people and causing them to become sick as well. By stopping contact between an infected person and others, it is possible to avoid the infection of many people.
Fact Sheet: If you, or someone in your family, has COVID-19
What is a close contact of someone with COVID-19
If you, or someone in your family, is a close contact of a person that tests positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus), there’s a chance that you might develop COVID-19 too. Follow the advice on this page to lower the risk of spreading the virus to people around you.
Fact Sheet: If you, or someone in your family, is a close contact of someone with COVID-19
We will keep you posted with new information from the Ministry as it is released.
And last but not least… let’s celebrate International Women’s Day!
As you start the day, we’d like you to take a moment to think of the women in your life who contribute to security, resilience, peace and your community wellbeing, and lets give them thanks.
This group of women pictured are members of the Phoenix – Women in Business project supported by VCCI and Vanuatu Business Resilience Council. They are a true example of leadership, friendship, and smart business women with determination kicking goals.
