Transitioning Back to Normalcy with the Help of Technology

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Transitioning Back to Normalcy with the Help of
Technology
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Introduction Singapore has started reopening
educational institutes, public transport, and
businesses in a phased manner. The city hopes to
reopen most of its economy by the end of this
month.  After months of public restrictions and
lockdowns, several other countries are planning
to lift the barriers and instill a sense of
normalcy among the citizens. Although, we still
havent controlled the COVID-19 virus completely,
the reopening measures are being taken for
recovering the impact on the economies across the
world. As nations try to find the ideal balance
between public health and economic health,
technology becomes their savior.  Google and
Apple are working together to develop a
technology to contain the pandemic and streamline
the shift back. Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook have
reportedly said, Through close cooperation and
collaboration with developers, governments, and
public health providers, we hope to harness the
power of technology to help countries around the
world slow the spread of COVID-19 and accelerate
the return of everyday life. 
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Contact tracing, social monitoring, and
surveillance Social distancing is the key to
preventing the spread of the pandemic and was the
reason for enforcing the stringent lockdowns.
Even though the lockdowns are being lifted, it is
necessary to practice social distancing in public
places. Several technologies are being developed
to establish an efficient and secure way of
contact tracing, social monitoring, and public
surveillance. Contact tracing technologies can
help track the spread of the virus and notify
those who have come in contact with the infected
person. These technologies are available in the
form of apps and wearable devices, using
Bluetooth or location information to aid the
tracing process. Similarly, organizations are
working on detectors that sends alerts if the
social distancing protocols are not being
followed. Combined with the security cameras
as well as thermal cameras, the data gathered
from the detectors can help chalk out a practical
and rational way of repurposing or restructuring
a public space like offices and schools. Thermal
cameras also accelerate the screening of
individuals in crowded areas. Unlike the
hand-held infrared screeners that detect the
temperature of one individual at a time, thermal
cameras can detect up to 16 persons, thus
speeding up the screening process at the entry
points. 
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• Contactless payments and zero-touch technology
• The retail scenario is all set to transform, with
  online orders take prominence due to safety
  concerns. Amidst the lockdown, when the
  brick-and-mortar stores were closed, online
  shopping and ecommerce popularity spiked. An
  impressive 146 increase has been reported in all
  online orders and a 68 year-over-year (YoY)
  growth in the online revenue was registered for
  the U.S. retailers by mid-April. As the physical
  stores open, they need to enforce smart solutions
  to make sure that customers feel safe and
  comfortable making an in-store purchase. In
  addition to the thermal screening and general
  hygiene protocols, retail stores should be
  looking at zero-touch technology solutions.   
• Read Full Blog at https//www.cigniti.com/blog/ne
  w-normal-covid-technology-digital-assurance/

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