On September 30, 2022, Decree No. 75 of the Ministry of Health, which extends the health alert, and Exempt Resolution No. 1,400 of the Ministry of Health, which establishes the new Plan ” We Continue Taking Care of Ourselves”, were published in the Official Gazette.

In turn, the Superintendence of Social Security, on September 30, 2022, issued Bulletin No. 3.697, which modifies the Workplace Health Safety Protocol Covid-19.

Specifically, Decree No. 75 of the Ministry of Health states the following:

Extends the sanitary alert decreed by Decree No. 4 of the Ministry of Health until December 31, 2022.

I. Due to the extension of the sanitary alert, Law 21.342 on Gradual and Safe Return to Work shall remain in force, and therefore, the following measures, among others, shall remain in force:

a) Daily temperature testing.
b) Physical distancing measures.
c) Availability of water and soap.
d) Means of protection made available to workers, including certified multipurpose masks with reduced environmental impact, and, when required by the activity, gloves, glasses and work clothes.

Exempt Resolution No. 1,400 of the Ministry of Health, which establishes the new “Sigamos Cuidándonos” (Let’s Take Care of Ourselves) Plan, states the following:

1. Mandates the mandatory use of masks for all persons visiting a health facility and for the health team, including auxiliary personnel and students in training.

2. The administration of the health facility is responsible for requiring the correct use of the mask in its facilities.

3. The use of masks is highly recommended in public and private transport, in crowded enclosed spaces, pharmacies and for people with symptoms of Covid-19.

4. Regarding measures related to workplaces, the employer should ensure easy access to the necessary elements for adequate hand hygiene.

5. Also, the employer must provide masks to workers who wish to use them and must have daily temperature testing devices for staff, customers and other persons entering the premises of the company.

6. Work areas must be sanitized periodically, as established by Supreme Decree No. 594 of the Ministry of Health.

7. There shall be no specific capacity in the workplaces; however, a distance of at least one meter between workstations is recommended.

Finally, Bulletin No. 3.697 of the Superintendency of Social Security establishes that within three days following October 1, 2022, the agencies administering the Insurance of Law No. 16.744 must communicate to the employer entities the update of the standard protocol, in accordance with the measures established by the health authority.

Should you require additional information on this matter, please contact: Alfred Sherman (asherman@jdf.cl), Gonzalo Aravena (garavena@jdf.cl) and/or Felipe Ovalle (fovalle@jdf.cl).