Coronavirus

BIO will routinely update this resource page for members and the public with developments, guidelines, protocols, policies, and tools for practitioners. These current practices were provided by BIO Member organizations. If you would like to submit items from your COVID-19 response plan, please email covidresponse@bio.org.

Health Safety

• Handwashing, regular wipe-downs of surfaces
• Adopted the CDC guidelines for handwashing, social distancing (no contact, 6 foot perimeter, etc.) and publishing those around the facilities, online on company intranet and by email.
• All employees are to stay 6 feet away from each other
• Employees to self-isolate if presenting any cough/flu/fever symptoms, and get tested (if possible)
• Built an app to allow people to report virus exposure, at risk travel, etc. as onsite nurse was being overwhelmed. Allows triage before providing guidance.
• Built a coronavirus hub on intranet to answer all employee questions and providing daily updates and info.

Travel Restrictions

• All international travel is suspended. Travel in US only, with permission, and only if absolutely necessary.
• No non-critical travel or meetings
• No travel or any type of physical meetings.
• Restricted all international and domestic travel. Now also applies to field teams.

Remote Work

• Backup plans for substituting staff for critical experiments.
• Still coming to work for now since predominantly an R&D company at this stage and next financing dependent on results.
• Facilities will remain open for now. Those who wish to work from home may do so.
• Work at home as much as possible
• Office is closed and employees are working from home.
• All employees who don’t require building access (e.g. manufacturing, lab) are work from home. Tried to avoid the words essential or non-essential (they have been banned).  Put plan in place for if it is necessary to scale back further. Evaluating daily and considering shift/rotational work to further reduce density or going to truly only people who need to keep lights on.
• Employees are required to work from home, unless it is critical they are in the office to maintain business operations. Employees are also required to be online, accessible, responsive to colleagues and to make arrangements to ensure your work is completed normally.

Employer Benefits

• Childcare— offering paid access to care.com for childcare but recognizing this might not work for all situations so are encouraging flexible hours, flexibility for family responsibilities, recognition that kids will be walking into background of VCs, etc. Looking at free subscriptions for resources for kids (e.g. learning platforms).
• Sick time/paid leave—not being applied in relation to coronavirus illness, quarantine or requirements to look after family.
• People can expense Wifi upgrades. Providing additional equipment for home use to some functions.
• Provide $500 million for testing and $1m to food and other services in local community. Looking at other options.

Business Continuity

• Meetings with those outside the company are to be held virtually, unless there is a compelling reason to hold them in person.
• IT is ensuring that our systems are optimized for WFH and teleconferencing/video conferencing.
• Gather concerns, potential mitigation
• Everything goes via the web. 
• Pushed out Zoom video technology to entire company and usage has been through the roof. It’s making people feel much more connected. We were on WebEx before and this is far better.
• Paying for parking/Uber/Lift for those still coming on site to reduce need for public transport. Also offering free meals to those on site.
• Using Microsoft teams for collaboration—people had not been utilizing but we are now seeing rapid adoption.
• Emails from leadership nearly daily with updates.
• Provided employees and managers with tips and resources for working and managing remotely. Also looking at ways to help people manage anxiety.
• Supply chain – no issues but working to ensure last leg – delivery to patient – uninterrupted particularly in locked down cities.