At Orange Grove Farm, we are continuously monitoring developments and updates on the spread of COVID-19 (Corona Virus). The safety and wellbeing of our Guests and Team Members is our overwhelming priority. We have always taken immense pride in the standard of hygiene, cleanliness, and sanitisation which our Guests have always been accustomed to on Orange Grove Farm. However, in response to the current situation we are enforcing even more stringent measures in line with the recommendations of international and national Health Authorities.

The COVID19 protocols that we have put in place include but are not limited to:

TEAM MEMBER TRAINING (Ongoing)

All Team Members have received extensive training on what the virus is; where the disease outbreak began; how it is transmitted; symptoms and continuous personal hygiene measures to prevent contamination and spread of the virus.

Personal hygiene is reinforced daily, including the need to wash hands frequently and thoroughly; avoiding touching of eyes, nose and mouth; practicing respiratory hygiene (sneezing and coughing into a tissue that is safely discarded or the crook of the elbow), and avoiding touching one’s face.

All staff have their temperature tested before boarding the Staff transport vehicle. Anyone showing temperatures higher than 37.5C, or showing any symptoms, are immediately sent home to obtain medical clearance and will have to self-isolate for a mandatory 14-day period. Staff staying on the farm are screened on arrival. Social distancing protocols are in place.

COTTAGE CLEANING

We have implemented a focused retraining program for our housekeeping team on all cleaning protocols. Our Housekeeping Team have been issued with Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) such as protective gloves, aprons and face shields and face masks. Rigorous cleaning and disinfecting regimes, using colour coded cloths, are in place for the cleaning of our Cottages and our cleaning Team has been issued with a detailed check-list to ensure that our cleaning protocols are met in preparation for Guest arrival. Particular attention is paid to high touch areas and every item in the cottage kitchen is thoroughly cleaned including the washing of all cutlery and crockery. Each Cottage is checked in-depth by a Hygiene Officer immediately after cleaning.

All non-essential items including, magazines, information folders, scatter cushions and extra blankets have been removed. Clean extra blankets are available on request. The gowns the Cottages have been hot washed, tumble dried and ironed. Our Room information Folder is available online.

All pools are maintained at maximum chlorine levels and serviced daily. Braais/barbeques will be cleaned and wood will be replenished on a daily basis. Guests are to vacate the cottage or stay indoors while the service is taking place.

Cottages will only be serviced every three days at which time linen will be replaced. All necessary cleaning materials, disinfectants and sanitisers are available in your cottage. Should you need towels replaced or any urgent cleaning, please contact us.

Guests staying longer than two nights and requiring service of the cottage, need to book a time slot on check-in. Guests will have to vacate the cottage and outside areas before arrival of our Cleaning Team. We will contact you via WhatsApp or phone, to let you know that the cottage is ready.

On check- out, Cottages are blocked for 24 hours so as to enable us to clean and disinfect thoroughly. In addition to our normal cleaning protocols, disinfectant foggers are also used during this time.

DISINFECTING AND SANITISING

Only recommended hospital grade disinfectants, which are eco-friendly are used across all the cottages and back of house areas.

Sanitiser in all areas contains at least 70% alcohol.

We are exploring various options to equip our cottages with the latest tools and technology, including electrostatic spraying and ozone technology for air purification

LAUNDRY

Our laundry is disinfected daily as are our washing machines, tumble dryers and all other equipment. Laundry staff have been trained in the necessary protocols and are provided with the necessary PPE equipment.

Linen and towels are washed on the hottest wash cycle. All the linen is ironed on a hot setting. Towels are tumble-dried until fully dry and hot enough to kill any potential viral matter. The laundry room is run using a set of protocols that prevents possible cross-contamination.

Back of House

In the spaces where staff work “behind the scenes,” such as the kitchen, office and break areas, rigorous cleaning schedules are in place. These spaces are equipped with instructional material to keep staff aware of hygiene protocols.

Staff hand sanitisers (70% alcohol based) have been rolled out in back of house areas (such as kitchen, office, laundry, staff rest area and bathrooms) and staff are instructed to make use of these sanitisers on a frequent basis and wash their hands regularly.

All staff uniforms are washed in our laundry and kept on site. In addition to screening, all staff shoes and bags are sprayed with disinfectant as they enter and leave OGF.

FOOD BASKETS

We will continue to supply our Food Baskets, but these must be ordered strictly 24 hours in advance. All Menus are available online and must be sent to us electronically. Our Food Baskets now offer contactless delivery outside our cottages along with sustainable, single-use packaging.

Our Kitchen Team have been trained in the correct protocols for food preparation and extensive hygiene controls are in place. Crockery and cutlery used in meal preparation, are placed in the dishwasher and washed at the highest temperature. Our kitchen is equipped with colour coded knives and chopping boards for food preparation and colour coded cloths for cleaning.

PURCHASES AND DELIVERIES

All goods, brought or delivered to OGF, are received at our COVID-19 Check Point and delivery personnel are not allowed to enter anywhere else on OGF, under any circumstances.

Following receipt of goods, the packaging is sprayed and wiped down with a sanitiser and left for a minimum of five minutes before packaging is opened.

WASTE DISPOSAL

There are clear waste disposal protocols for PPE, chemicals and refuse. All waste from the bedrooms, including the PPE worn and discarded by the cleaners, is placed in a sturdy plastic bag, tied shut and not re-opened at any time or for any reason. These plastic bags are disposed of in an outside bin and sprayed with disinfectant before the bin is closed. The outside of the closed bin is sprayed with the same solution. A contactor then collects and disposes of the waste off the farm and in the prescribed manner.

Activities

Amid all the problems we are experiencing, the deep calm of the silent hills provides balm for the soul, and the sweeping vistas from the Langeberg mountain provide a space for the spirit to just ‘be’. The sounds of birdsong are relaxing as you linger alongside your swimming pool, or wander among indigenous gardens, veld and fascinating rock formations, gouged out over eons.

No Nature Drives, Guided Hikes and Massages will be offered at this stage. However, there is still a plethora of activities you can enjoy to experience the best of the OGF:

• Challenge your fitness level and enjoy one of our 3 self-guided hiking trails with breathtaking views over the surrounding area.
• Guests can meander through our vineyards and olive groves to experience the farming activities more closely or to just inhale the surrounding beauty without much effort. Please ensure that social distancing of at least 2m is maintained should anyone be encountered on the route.
• Explore the dirt roads on a mountain bike or on one of our cycling trails. Our Mountain Bikes are checked and disinfected before being handed to our Guests.
• Birdwatching can be enjoyed from the comfort of your cottage and on our hiking trails
• Star gazing: The cloudless nights provide a brilliant night sky for all enthusiasts
• For the less energetic, Orange Grove Farm provides a perfect retreat for painting, writing, photography and reading

CHECK-IN AND SCREENING OF GUESTS ON ARRIVAL

In the interests of Health and Safety we have done away with our Reception area and have switched to minimum contact check-in and cottage access. On arrival at OGF all Guests need to stop at the clearly marked Corona Virus Check Point. Contact us on +27 23 100 0067 or +27 76 718 0760 when you are 10 minutes away and one of our Team will be waiting to greet you and assist with formalities and answer any questions. During this process, all items being touched will be sanitised in front of our arriving Guests.

Screening has been mandated by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 15 March 2020. Therefore, all guests will be required to complete and sign a questionnaire, as well as allow their temperature to be scanned with a thermal scanner.

Should a guest’s temperature be high and/or they have symptoms of the virus they will not be allowed to check-in and will be referred to a medical facility as specified by the NICD.

Formalities for Check-In will be as follows:

• Guest Registration Form must be completed online to arrival.
• All Identity Documents must be submitted online prior to arrival.
• ALL Guests must be wearing face masks
• We prefer Guests to make payment in full before arrival, either by EFT or Credit Card. However, our staff will have a credit card machine on hand to take payment if necessary.
• For your safety and ours we prefer not to accept cash. In need Guests can deposit cash into our account at any FNB Terminal prior to arrival.
• We have 24-hour security patrols and all cottages have an alarm system with outside beams. The alarm system and security protocols will be explained to you.
• Once check-in formalities have been completed Guests will follow the Team Member to their Cottage.
• Contact us at any time should you need assistance with anything.
• Our office hours are 08h00 to 17h30 Monday to Friday and 08h30 to 14h00 on weekdays and Public Holidays
• In case of emergency the Duty Manager is available 24/7 on 076 718 0760

Social interaction kept to a minimum

All our Cottages are self-catering and are situated far apart from each other to ensure absolute privacy without any interaction with other Guests. All cottages have their own private swimming pools so there are no shared facilities.

To alleviate the risk of transmission, continuous and stringent social distancing etiquette will be implemented between guests and staff to reduce person-to- person contact

It is no longer business as usual but in keeping with the OGF tradition, our Team are undergoing behavioural training so as to ensure that empathetic, personalized care and connection are not lost in the absence of close contact and limited face-to-face interaction.  We will always, do everything possible to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone on the property and as such all Safety Protocols must be followed.

While no one can predict the path of this virus, we are continuously monitoring developments and doing all we can to reduce the risk of potential contamination or spread of disease.

We look forward to welcoming you to Orange Grove Farm.

THE NUMBER FOR ALL COMMUNICATIONS IS 076 718 0760 AND FOR CALLS YOU CAN ALSO USE 023 100 0067 or 023 626 6442