As of late September, more than 200,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and experts from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) predict another 180,000 American deaths before the end of the year. Worldwide, the figures are equally startling: 966,970 have died as of this writing. The IHME stated in mid-September that “Increasing mask use to 95% can save nearly 115,000 lives before the end of 2020, reducing the expected number of deaths by 62.5%.”
It’s a matter of life and death for some, and debilitating illness for many others affected by the virus. With a vaccine still under development, people must take basic measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Mask wearing, physical distancing, and contact tracing have become the “new normal” in workplace and public settings, and a matter of state law in many cases. The mandates impact almost all organizations in private and public sectors, from college campuses to casinos, airport terminals, retail stores, shopping malls, and warehouses. Businesses and municipalities must find efficient ways to adopt, implement and comply with current public health mandates.