Chevron Nigeria Limited, on Thursday, stated that none of its employees has contracted the coronavirus, COVID-19, noting that it has continued to operate safely, and without any COVID-19-related incident in its operations.

Reacting to speculations that the company quarantined some of its staff suspected of having the coronavirus in a hotel in Warri, Delta State, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs of Chevron, Mr. Esimaje Brikinn, in a statement in Abuja, disclosed that none of the staff has the virus, but the quarantine of the employees became necessary as parts of precautionary measures.

According to him, as a responsible organisation, one of the precautionary safeguards Chevron has put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus into its operations is the introduction of a compulsory two-week supervised quarantine for all personnel returning to work at its Escravos Operations during this period of the pandemic.

Brikinn clarified that based on the coronavirus directive issued by the Federal Government regarding sustained operations in the oil and gas industry, Chevron entered into arrangements with some hotels and other facilities in Warri and Lagos, where its staff on rotational duties would be accommodated, and their health status monitored to ensure that they do not have the COVID-19 virus before returning to work at its Escravos Operations.

He said: “The first group of personnel scheduled for quarantine were moved to the designated facilities on Friday, April 10, and other groups will follow based on the crew change schedule and the personnel will be required to strictly maintain social distancing protocols, personal hygiene, and use of appropriate personal protective equipment during the supervised quarantine period.

“We are also working with the hotels and other facilities where the personnel will be placed, to ensure that the hotels and facilities maintain high levels of sanitation and follow strict adherence to all COVID-19 protocols.”

The Chevron spokesperson explained that at the end of the two-week period, only those who were certified free of the COVID-19 virus would be moved to Escravos and that anyone with suspected symptoms during the period would be subjected to further testing and subsequently transferred to government-designated hospitals for further handling in line with the government-approved protocols.

He added that “Chevron continues to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak around the world and has been utilising the guidance of local and international health authorities.

“We are regularly updating our workforce and will continue to adjust plans as appropriate as we receive more information. Our top priority is to ensure the wellbeing and safety of our workforce and their family members, and we are taking precautionary measures to reduce the risk of exposure,” he remarked.

Brikinn explained that the precautionary safeguard enables Chevron to provide a controlled environment for very close monitoring of the personnel during the period of the supervised quarantine, adding that in order to make this safeguard effective, all personnel would first be required to provide a comprehensive travel history before they are placed in the supervised quarantine. (Vanguard)

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