They issue new Covid-19 guidelines for companies, goodbye to face masks?

This October 10, the New Normality Committee, made up of the Secretaries of Health, Economy, Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), and the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), updated the guidelines for security measures. prevention against Covid-19 that must be observed in the workplace.

The new guidelines issued by the authorities do not foresee the disappearance of all the measures that were established in 2020 for the reopening of non-essential economic activities, but at least the use of sanitizing mats will no longer be mandatory throughout the country.

“Almost two years later, the published Guidelines have not undergone changes, which implies the maintenance of the application of some measures which, with current knowledge, lack scientific foundation, which required an update in the list of recommendations, seeking simplified mechanisms. and efficient for prevent Covid-19 disease”, highlights the Committee in the document with the new rules.

On the other hand, the use of face masks It will no longer be mandatory in both open and closed spaces, as long as there is a healthy distance of at least 1.5 meters between each person, in case this condition does not occur, the mask will be “recommended”.

Under the new provisions, some examples for skip the use of face masks occur in the following cases:

• People who do not share the physical place of work
• When drinking and eating food
• intense physical work

Meanwhile, some cases where the use of the mask will be recommended son:

• People who decided not to get vaccinated
• In workplaces with poor ventilation and where people share the same space.

“These guidelines must be applied at the national level, to all work centersand their objective is to establish the specific measures that economic activities must implement within the framework of the general strategy for the New Normality, for the continuity of work activities in a safe and responsible manner, ”the federal authorities published.

In the case of tests to detect Covid-19, the provisions recognize that employers may apply them, but they may not be mandatory for the return to face-to-face work.

The criteria for vaccines against Covid-19 will be similar. “It should not be considered as the only option to mitigate the risk of this disease, but rather it is a complement to other preventive actions such as: respiratory etiquette, healthy distance, use of personal protective equipment, among others,” the guidelines state. This means that the coronavirus vaccine cannot be a condition for people to carry out their activities.

“Businessmen are recommended to designate a committee or person responsiblewho in its facilities implements, monitors and supervises measures that help reduce risks in the workplace, which are valued in the National Strategy for Work Environments and Insurance of the Ministry of Health, “the Committee said in a statement. release.