New issues regarding safety and security have accompanied the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has spurred many to rethink the role that technology, such as CCTV camera systems, play in pandemic situations.

Security During Lockdown

Many corporate entities with physical locations saw firsthand the importance of CCTV cameras as COVID-19 inspired lockdowns and work from home protocols forced the abandonment of physical workspaces, giving rise to a need to protect the physical assets that subsequently went unmanned.   With high-quality, efficient CCTV cameras installed companies can ensure that physical premises continue to be monitored while employees and entrepreneurs and CEOs work from home.

In the event that a pandemic spurs manic responses such as fear-inspired rioting and social disorder, CCTV cameras can help citizens and entities alike to stay safe. Just having a CCTV camera system installed can act as a deterrent to would-be looters. Additionally, footage helps to identify looters after the damage has been done so that legal action can be taken.  In some instances, too, the surveillance data can help security and law enforcement teams to stop criminals in their tracks.

Organizations can also use CCTV footage to provide valuable information on pandemic related health protocols. Reviewing footage of human behavior on the premises is a great way to evaluate how well the entity is applying recommended health protocols and serve as a start point for the development and implementation of corrective measures. Using these types of footage can be more effective than traditional safety training as employees benefit from real-life examples of when and how things go wrong and how the actions taken or not taken expose them, their colleagues and customers to health risks.

Aiding in the Enforcement/Application of Pandemic Control Measures

Some countries have found CCTV cameras useful as they attempt to enforce pandemic control measures such as quarantine and lockdowns. The monitoring authorities in these countries have been able to detect attempts to flee quarantine facilities. They have also been able to track persons who have escaped quarantine or who are flouting lockdown regulations.

In any pandemic, vaccines or other scientific remedies are crucial to a global control of the crisis and recovery from it. These very critical vaccines and medicines are also protected, thanks to CCTV camera systems. CCTV cameras aid in protecting stored vaccines and highly sensitive laboratory material from being stolen or damaged. This, in turn, helps to avoid speed bumps in the road to recovery from a pandemic. Some vaccines produced in response to the recent COVID19 pandemic, for instance, need to be stored at a particular temperature. Continuous camera-based monitoring can help storage facility managers to keep a keen eye on the vaccines to prevent mishaps like the recent loss of several batches due to human error.

CCTV Cameras and Future Pandemics

CCTV cameras are likely to become even more critical in future pandemic situations as entities and engineers conceptualize new ways to use them. One such innovative idea is to equip cameras with the capacity to provide an alternative method of identification thereby reducing the need for identification systems (such as ID cards and fingerprinting systems) that rely on physical contact.