How co-living spaces are managing their properties in the time of coronavirus

For every co-living space, the safety and health of their residents has become the highest priority in a time when COVID-19 is running riot in our daily lives. The co-living players are adhering to guidelines from WHO, medical experts, and the Indian government to ensure that the residents at their properties can remain safe.

To fight the spread of this extremely communicable virus, many of the co-living startups have taken the following precautionary measures to tackle the virus spread for their employees and residents:

Training:

• Special training sessions have been conducted for housekeeping staff at the properties so that they are aware of the best practices of cleaning and sanitising spaces based on WHO guidelines.
• In case any co-living company runs their own kitchens or provides food through merchant partners, all staff members have been trained on the best practices to be followed in the kitchens to maintain a healthy and safe environment. Proper cleaning of raw materials and sanitising the utensils has been given the utmost importance.
• Repair and maintenance activities are being carried out with a skeletal staff, with all repair personnel having been trained in the dos and don'ts for containing coronavirus.

Use of PPE:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves have been provided to the personnel at the properties. These PPEs are being disposed of at regular intervals based on guidelines.

Use of WHO recommended chemicals

• All the companies have started the use of hospital-grade disinfectants and cleaning agents approved by WHO for cleaning of the rooms, washrooms, and common area in the properties. Special attention is being paid to cleaning of frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, taps, health faucets, flush handles, and switches, which carry the highest probability of having the virus reside on their surfaces.
• Hand sanitisers have been made available at the common areas of their properties.

Adopting social distancing

• All community activities that require the coming together of people in a small space have been suspended to promote social distancing.
• Anyone experiencing symptoms of flu have been asked to self-quarantine (if possible) and reach out to a doctor as soon as possible, which are kept on standby at the properties.
• Some companies empower the customers to apply for internal transfers from multiple persons sharing a room to a single sharing room or in some cases, a complete house as a precautionary measure.

In spite of all these measures, it needs to be reiterated that personal hygiene is of prime importance to contain the spread of coronavirus. Basic protective measures against the novel coronavirus have been propagated by all the co-living companies among all residents through digital channels as well as through in-property promotions to ensure the safety of the people staying in the properties.

These practices include:

• Covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing.
• Washing your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Standing at least three metres away from people whenever in public.
• Seeking medical attention immediately if you have symptoms of flu.

Companies have also set up dedicated support lines to resolve the queries of customers faster and help them report any cases where the people around them might be showing symptoms of being affected by coronavirus.

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(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)