Businesses Must Prepare for Another Covid-19 Surge

As months go by and we find ways to live with Covid-19 long-term, some businesses are starting to bring employees back to the office. At the same time, experts predict another surge of Covid-19 is imminent. How can corporations keep their employees safe and avoid costly shutdowns as we face a new surge of cases? Until a vaccine is widely distributed, the answer lies in using the tools that are available: contact tracing, social distancing, and a healthy dose of caution.

Let’s look at the financial industry as an example for what may lay ahead for businesses trying to reopen. Many financial firms are anxious to return - Citi ordered 30% of its 17,500 New York employees to come back this week, JP Morgan brought back 10% of its workforce in early September, and Mudrick Capital required all of its employees to report back to the office after Labor Day. But, the eager industry is already experiencing setbacks - JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and Barclays all reported at least one Covid-19 case among their ranks within days of reopening, leading to partial shutdowns of multiple offices to contain the spread. Yet, most of these firms still want to forge ahead with back-to-work plans - JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs will ramp up on-site employees to 50% in the coming weeks - despite these worrying reports. What does this mean? A lot of people will be inside in close quarters, and if the financial industry is any indication, it could backfire if companies aren’t careful.

Even as companies reopen their offices and restore a sense of normalcy, Covid-19 is not slowing down, and rather - could pick up speed with the impending cold weather. The U.S. recently hit 7 million total cases, with 23 states reporting an increase as of last week. If things remain as they are, experts predict 410,000 people will be killed by the virus by the end of the year. That’s especially shocking considering that the U.S. only recently hit 200,000 Covid-19-related deaths, and that number could double in a few short months. Simply put, we’re in for a difficult fall and winter - both in the office and beyond.

One thing is certain - we’re at a critical juncture. Its imperative businesses find ways to create safe workspaces if they plan to bring people back to work as the Covid-19 landscape heightens. But how? They must use every tool at their disposal, including on-site contact tracing. As we’ve written about previously, deploying data-driven tools provides employers with the information necessary to reopen their offices with confidence. Workplace-led contact tracing also helps assuage concerns employees may have about going back, boosting morale during an already stressful transition period when case numbers spike.

At Proxfinity, we’ve seen the power of on-site contact tracing in action. One of our clients, one of the largest financial services corporations in the U.S., deployed our contact tracing smart badge, ResCUE, as the leading tool for their back-to-work strategy. The company distributed 1,200 ResCUE badges overall to multiple office locations for employees to wear while at work. Immediately, our client was able to gather anonymous contact tracing data, leveraging our reporting features to identify exposure risk and make real-time staffing and sanitation decisions. On top of that, employees were able to keep a safe distance from one another more easily, thanks to ResCUE’s social distancing signal that lights up when two badges get too close to each other. Our client was so pleased with how well our contact tracing technology worked, they doubled their original order after just a few weeks.

A surge in Covid-19 cases will challenge even the best-laid return-to-work plans. If you’re looking for a tried-and-true tool to help keep your employees safe and avoid more expensive shutdowns this fall, look no further than ResCUE.

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