Coronavirus: Company tells employees to work from home over outbreak fears : The Standard

• Mirror 27th Feb 2020 08:52:09 GMT +0300

Staff at a central London office have been told to work from home as a 'precaution' amid the coronavirus outbreak after an employee returned from a trip abroad with 'flu-like' symptoms. Reports say OMD staff were sent home 'immediately' today from one of OMD UK's central London offices after an employee returned from a trip to Australia and Singapore and began feeling unwell. Bosses at the media agency based in Fitzrovia, where more than 1,000 employees are said to work, told staff they could work from home until the test results came back. A spokesperson from Omnicom Media Group UK told Metro employees were working from home as "precautionary measure" while the worker awaits results. A spokesperson said: "Earlier today, we became aware of an employee showing flu like symptoms, who had returned a few days ago from a trip to Australia with a flight connection through Singapore. "As a precautionary measure, and until definitive results of the employee’s coronavirus test is confirmed, we are asking OMD employees at our Fitzrovia offices to immediately work from home. "OMD UK employees have been informed that, whilst the risk of the test being positive is minimal, every precaution is being taken to protect their health and wellbeing.

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"We will continue to monitor the situation and follow the guidance provided from the Government and expect to reopen these offices on Monday pending the results." It came on the same day more than 300 workers were sent home from an office block in Canary Wharf, in the capital's east, after an employee showed symptoms similar to the coronavirus, officially named Covid-19. Chevron Corp asked about 300 employees to work temporarily from home after the worker returned from an affected country with a flu-like illness. Crossrail, which shares the same building as Chevron, is also said to have asked staff to stay away, according to the BBC. The real estate company that manages Canary Wharf told the broadcaster it strongly advised tenants to follow Public Health England (PHE) advice, but said there was no need to send staff home as most possible cases turned out to be negative. PHE has said it does not recommend closing a workplace over a single case of the virus. A Chevron spokeswoman said earlier today. "Chevron continues to monitor the situation very closely, utilizing the guidance of international and local health authorities," "Our primary concern is the health and safety of our employees and we are taking precautionary measures to reduce their risk of exposure. It is our policy to not provide details of our employees." It comes as pupils are sent home from school to self-quarantine, and others are closed following fears of a rapidly spreading Covid-19 outbreak in north Italy. Towns are in lockdown in the region as the virus that has infected more than 80,000 worldwide spreads around Europe. As of February 25, a total of 6,795 people have been tested in the UK with 13 positive cases, as hospitals ramp up their facilities in anticipation of a potential major outbreak here. The vast majority of deaths from the novel coronavirus have occurred in China, which was said to be the origin of the virus. Mirror Online has approached OMD for comment.

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