Contingency plan – guidelines – Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto

COVID-19

This plan’s three main goals are as follows:

To organise a strategy that allows for the gradual reopening of the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP). This reopening aims to allow both visits from the public and scheduled activities on the part of the Museum itself;
To guarantee the safety of everyone involved: workers, collaborators, visitors, service and delivery staff, among others;
To contribute to the containment of the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

The MHNC-UP has been open to the public since the following dates:

The schedule for the MHNC-UP will be as follows:

Botanical Garden – Monday to Friday, from 9h00 to 19h00; from November 1 to December 30, 2021, from 9h00 to 18h00;
Hall of Biodiversity and Core Pole – Tuesday to Sunday, from 10h00 to 13h00 and from 14h00 to 18h00 (last entry: 17h30).

01.1. Time limits and physical contact

The halls and reception areas of both the Hall of Biodiversity and the Core Pole will be delimitated using floor signage to guarantee the maintenance of social distancing.
The visiting spaces will benefit of the same floor signage and other materials such as railings, to maintain distancing between visitors as well as minimum contact between visitors and staff/collaborators of the MHNC-UP.
A maximum capacity of 1 person per 5 m2 will be established.
The reception areas of both the Hall of Biodiversity and the Core Pole will have protection railings that ensure that social distancing guidelines are followed.
A minimum distance between visitors and workers/collaborators is recommended.
Spontaneous/ non programmed gatherings re disallowed.

01.2. Wearing individual/personal protective equipment

The use of face masks is mandatory to every visitor to the Hall of Biodiversity, the Botanical Garden, and the Core Pole.
Masks will be available for purchase at ticket counters.
Masks have to be worn by every worker/collaborator/staff member, including those of external companies (eg. Security guards and cleaning services) and any others who might visit the MHNC-UP facilities to provide services.
The use of gloves is recommended in very particular situations, such as when aiding suspected cases or performing specific cleaning tasks, among others.

02.1. Installation of information tablets/panels? And disseminating information within the MHNC-UP

Information panels will be installed in the following areas: entrance of the Botanical Garden, reception hall of the Hall of Biodiversity and Core Pole, bathrooms, lifts, passage/circulation areas of both the Hall of Biodiversity and the Core Pole, exhibition spaces of the Hall of Biodiversity and Core Pole. These panels will remind visitors and staff of the guidelines set by U.Porto that must be followed at all times.

02.2. Guidance given by the MHNC-UP staff/collaborators

Meetings will be taking place on a regular basis with the aim to clarify any points, questions or doubts that might arise from this plan or any other plans released by the U.Porto referring to the return to normal activity. These meetings will be aimed at workers, collaborators, and any external staff (security and cleaning services).
The MHNC-UP’s staff will promote the safety measures (hygiene, social distancing, and use of face masks, among others), encouraging all visitors to comply.
The members of the security team responsible for invigilating and safeguarding the MHNC-UP will actively participate in enforcing safety measures (hygiene, social distancing, and use of face masks, among others).

02.3. Dissemination of information via the MHNC-UP website

The MHNC-UP’s website will contain a specific page dedicated to the dissemination of information produced by the Public Relations Department of U.Porto.

02.4. Digital paperwork

03.1. Personal hygiene

Alcohol-based antiseptic solution will be available in dispensers in reception areas as well as spaces that require maintenance and other access points around the exhibit areas, especially those with interactive modules and/or considered generally more densely populated by visitors.
Liquid soap and hand towels will be replaced more frequently in bathroom areas.
Visitors, workers, staff, collaborators, and any and all people who enter the MHNC-UP areas will be required to sanitize hands with alcohol-based antiseptic solution prior to entering the facilities.
Clear records will be kept in regards to the replacement of alcohol-based antiseptic solution, liquid soap, and hand towels.
All workers/collaborators/staff will be under guidance to wash and sanitize hands frequently.

03.2. Sterilization and cleaning of spaces and equipment

The company hired for cleaning purposes will have their intervention plan revised and adjusted to fit the current requirements.
Both the externally hired company and the regular MHNC-UP staff will maintain up to date registers referring to the frequency and depth of sterilization of spaces.
Interactive and frequently touched surfaces and materials will be disinfected on a frequent basis. These surfaces/materials might include interactive buttons, lifts buttons, ATM pads, among others. This cleaning process will be done by both the cleaning staff and the invigilators/guides for each space.
The working areas will suffer reinforced cleaning and sterilization, which will be done by both the cleaning staff and the workers/collaborators/staff in each space.
Bins with pedals (to facilitate discarding of individual protective materials) will be installed by the exit doors of all three MHNC-UP facilities, as well as in the Hall of Biodiversity’s isolation room.

03.3. Ventilation of spaces

04.1. Recognising suspected cases

Access will be denied to all employees, collaborators or visitors who show any symptoms of the disease or who have had contact with a person with a proven diagnosis of COVID-19 until the end of the 14 days of quarantine, starting from the last contact date.
The body temperature of visitors, employees, collaborators and other individuals upon entering the facilities of the Hall of Biodiversity and the Core Pole of the MHNC-UP will be measured, in accordance with the University of Porto’s ‘Recommendations for the resumption of in person activities’ (p. 11).

04.2. Approaching suspected cases

A temporary exhibition room will be set as the designated isolation area at the Hall of Biodiversity. This space will be equipped with a table, chair, thermometer, alcohol-based antiseptic solution, face masks, gloves, and a bin. Any person, be it staff of visiting, with manifested symptoms will be isolated in this room until the SNS24 Hotline (808 24 24 24) or the Serviço de Saúde Ocupacional da U.Porto (220 426 643 – between 9h and 17h) can be contacted.
The isolation room in the Historical Building of the Rectory of the University of Porto will be available to accommodate any suspected cases identified in the MHNC-UP’s Core Pole.
In the possibility of a suspected case, the staff will act in accordance with the guidance given by the U.Porto ‘return to normal activity’ recommendations document (pp. 19-22).