What is a Covid Sign In Sheet?
A covid sign in sheet is a screening form commonly placed at the entrance of an area and filled out at the start of every shift. It obtains necessary coronavirus related information such as travel history and symptoms that helps determine if an employee should stay at home or be brought to a medical facility.
Why is it Important?
Businesses are not required but highly recommended to have a covid sign in sheet in the workplace. This helps prevent the spread of coronavirus disease and reduce potential risks for employees. Employers can use the employee information on the covid sign sheet to monitor the well-being of each employee and anticipate any minor symptoms that could develop into something severe. It is within the employer’s judgment whether to allow or deny access to the workplace, building, or facility for the sake of safety. Both employers and employees are responsible for keeping up-to-date with the coronavirus symptoms which are, as obtained from the CDC:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
As there are a lot of similarities between the symptoms of the flu and covid, it is best not to take a chance and get a covid test for accurate results.
What to do if an Employee Displayed or Declared Symptoms
Let’s first differentiate isolation and quarantine. Isolation is recommended for an employee who has covid symptoms, waiting for test results, or has tested positive. While quarantine is what an employee has to do if they’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or got back from a recent trip outside of the state or overseas. The duration of isolation and quarantine depends on the recommendations of a doctor or under the discretion of the employer. The common quarantine duration is 14 days.
After the employees fill out the covid sign in sheet, employers should check their answers right away. Here is what an employer should do if the employee declares symptoms or answers yes to the following questions as recommended by the Washington State Department of Health:
Do you have any covid symptoms that are not caused by another condition?
Tell staff to isolate at home or another site away from others.
If you are not fully vaccinated, have you been in close contact with anyone with covid in the past 14 days?
Tell staff to quarantine at home or another site away from others.
Have you had a positive covid test for an active virus in the past 10 days, or are you awaiting results of a covid test?
Tell staff to isolate at home or another site away from others.
Within the past 14 days, has public health or medical professional told you to isolate or quarantine due to concerns about covid infection?
Tell staff to follow the instructions provided by the public health or medical professional
More information can be found below:
What to do if an employee answers yes?