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As more cases of Covid-19 are reported in South Africa, residential estates need to take action to keep their residence, visitors and staff safe – and that means being proactive, rather than reactive.
Dirk Uys, the Estate Manager of Arabella Country Estate, believes in managing risk by taking action before problems get out of hand – from implementing protocols to protect the community’s personal information, in terms of the POPI Act, to taking action before the water crisis hit in 2017, thereby ensuring that the estate’s utilities are as independent as possible. And now, in the face of COVID-19 he had, with the support of the Directors of Arabella Country Estate, taken the following decisive and immediate steps:
- the establishment of a special COVID-19 working group incorporating directors, the hotel GM, the estate manager, and also some knowledgeable home owner scientists, to continuously monitor the situation, plan for future scenarios, and take action when/where required
- distribution of COVID-19 awareness posters at all entrances and other strategic points on the estate to:
- communicating the recognised preventive protocol – basic hygiene, etc. – to home owners and all staff and/or contractors entering the estate
- ensuring all home owners and visitors to the estate are aware of the symptoms of COVID-19, and know what actions to take in case of suspected infection
- installation of hand sanitisers at strategic points, including turnstyle access
- offering alcohol swabs for biometric reader use in residents’ lanes.
