Security teams holding off on investing in contact tracing technology, whether by enhancing their access control systems, or empowered existing CCTV solutions are taking an increasing risk, with COVID-19 Delta infection in the workplace now running at 10 per cent in NSW.
The latest infection figures from Victoria and NSW – regions as well as cities – suggest the latest outbreak is by no means under control in Australia and that even more rigorous and widespread lockdowns may be needed.
There are now 260 mystery cases under investigation in NSW, more than at any other time since the initial outbreak and with 47 Delta cases having been active in the community before diagnosis – these numbers suggest infection rates are heading in the wrong direction. The threat makes incorporation of vaccination status into access control procedures look increasingly vital.
For security teams, COVID strategies like proximity detection, people counting, tightly controlled visitor management, overarching reporting functions, and remote functionality must be enhanced. Other aspects of a COVID safe environment that bear consideration revolve around low touch access control solutions, including touchless exit buttons, touchless biometrics, including face recognition solutions able to handle access, time and attendance, and contact tracing.
In many cases, the greatest functionalities may be delivered by integration of systems that allow analytics to deliver specific information without the need for searches. This sort of information may include a video record of who came into contact with a particular team member and for how long at every camera point across a site, as well as showing the locations a particular team member visited.
In spite of the fact some vaccinated individuals are becoming infected with Delta, their illness is far less serious than for the unvaccinated. With Australia’s full vaccination rate having only just passed 10 per cent, there’s a huge amount of work to be done and security organisations should encourage all staff members who intend to get vaccinated, to book their appointments ASAP.
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