In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed nearly 200,000 worldwide, the Russian Fishery Company has announced that it has begun testing employees for the virus.
The company announced the new testing measures on 22 April, which it said was due to the threat of the virus spreading in Vladivostok. The company plan to use the polymerase chain reaction method of testing, due to its ability to identify infection in asymptomatic people that are still capable of transmitting the disease.
“The safety and health of employees is a key value of the company. We take a number of preventive measures to ensure the protection of health and prevent the spread of a new type of viral infection. Testing for COVID-19 by an accredited medical laboratory is among these measures,” RFC CEO Viktor Litvinenko said. “The examination process eliminates crowding so as not to expose them to danger of infection.”
In addition to the new testing measures, the company has also implemented remote working, and has recommended that all employees avoid traveling outside of the region. RFC has also implemented a set of recommendation for workers working from home, including a daily health journal.
“At the RFC facilities increased requirements are set for personal hygiene of workers, health monitoring is mandatory. All employees are provided with personal protective equipment,” the company stated. “On company vessels and in offices common areas and workplaces are regularly disinfected, additional purchases of batches of hygiene and disinfectants, protective equipment, and medicines are organized.”
RFC moved its headquarters to Vladivostok in October 2019, after previously being based in Moscow. The company is one of the largest fishing firms in Russia, and also one of the largest pollock suppliers in the world. It has also been a participant in Russia’s recent investment quota program, which grants quota based on investments in infrastructure in either the form of a processing plant, or new vessels.
Photo by Chris Chase/SeafoodSource
