Coronavirus: Number of employees allowed on premises increased

The health ministry on Wednesday announced that the minimum number of people who need to be physically present in workplaces has been raised to five with 25 maximum, depending on the size of the business.

The announcement follows complaints by businesses that the number of people allowed to be physically present in business premises was not enough for them to operate smoothly.

Under the health ministry original decree on the latest measures, private businesses in the services sector by and large must work from home. Only up to 15 per cent of the staff could be at the business premises, although in absolute numbers no more than 20 persons were allowed at any given time. Three employees were allowed irrespective of the number of total personnel. This was deemed as not enough by employers.

On Wednesday, an updated decree raised the numbers to 25 per cent of the total number of each businesses’ total number with five people minimum and 25 maximum.

It gave as an example that in a company with 10 people, up to five people can work in person if the employer so wishes. If a company has 50 employees, up to 13 people can be physically present at the workplace, while in a company with 200 employees, the maximum number of persons who can work simultaneously with physical presence must not exceed 25 persons.