Contact Harald trace technology supports fight against large COVID-19 outbreaks

WITH NEWS this week that the Victorian State Government is keen to return Melbourne to COVID-normal, a quarter of the workforce in high-risk industries such as abattoirs and supermarkets will be tested for COVID-19 regardless of whether they have symptoms or not^[i].

With the Victorian Government wanting to drive up testing rates as case numbers decline, it’s an important opportunity for businesses to consider how they will manage their staff – and their ongoing health and wellbeing - and the potential risk of Coronavirus as the country moves through the second wave of the pandemic.

“Using a business based contact tracing system delivers a greater level of confidence for both the employer and its employees to feel safe within their working environment, to know that should a positive case of COVID-19 be detected, its impact and spread will be managed and minimised,” said Elissa Reid, director of product and safety at Contact Harald.

She said contact tracing solution Contact Harald provides this simple line of defence for Australian businesses operating in high-risk industries, allowing them to manage infections swiftly, and prevent an entire business closure in the event that a staff member becomes unwell.

“At a tipping point in time, where we aim to return the country to a place of normality, what matters most isn’t just the amount of testing, but the speed of communication and tracing to minimise further spread,” Ms Reid said.

When Melbourne was forced into lockdown again in late June, Melbourne business Koko Black felt the pinch immediately, and went on the lookout for technology that would help it operate more safely for staff and safeguard its business continuity.

CEO Nick Georges went on the hunt for a product that would ensure they could manage any outbreak in the lead up to their busiest time of the year, after trialling several devices, they landed on Contact Harald.

“Contact Harald gave us the confidence that as we get closer to Christmas, we’re not going to have an event that pushes us off the rails. Even the staff have more confidence; seeing this tool and the company’s diligence has had a very positive impact,” Mr Georges said.

Using wearable, stand-alone card technology and operating on low-energy Bluetooth technology, Contact Harald provides businesses with the confidence to safely manage their staff’s health by recording card-to-card interactions within a defined facility, Ms Reid said. Contact Harald cleverly determines when two people have been in close proximity of each other within certain set time limits, allowing for easier, faster detection.

Should an individual become unwell, the data stored on the card issued to them while on-site is flagged within the system, automatically matching data to other cards active in the worksite active at the same time. This allows businesses to manage potential health risks, and immediately identify and alert staff to take swift action to isolate, get tested and better manage the health of their own immediate contacts outside of the business.

“Naturally, privacy is a major issue for both businesses and their staff members, so confidentiality was a key focus in the development of Contact Harald,” Ms Reid said. “No personal information is stored on a Contact Harald card, giving both businesses and staff members peace of mind that both their health and their privacy is being protected.”

^[i] Ref 1: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/one-in-four-workers-in-supermarkets-abattoirs-to-be-tested-each-week-20200929-p560bm.html

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