Could Israel lead the way to returning to work safely amid coronavirus?

The pilot program, is being tested at the JVP's offices in Jerusalem, giving the technologies a trial run before the introduce them onto the market.

By ZACHARY KEYSER
Employees of the D-ID startup company work at the company's office in Tel Aviv (photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
Employees of the D-ID startup company work at the company's office in Tel Aviv
(photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), one of the largest venture capital firms in Israel, pilot tested return-to-work technologies they hope will help the public eventually return to normalcy, as countries worldwide begin to mull over relaxing coronavirus restrictions in workplaces and public settings.
The innovations themselves are specifically geared towards helping companies return to the workplace in the safest manner possible after coronavirus shelter-in-place orders are lifted. JVP intends to implement the new technologies at their International Cyber Center in New York when the state eventually lifts restrictions allowing their employees to return to the office.
The pilot program, however, is being tested at the JVP's offices in Jerusalem, giving the technologies - which take temperatures, create 3D printed face masks and even assist employees in running errands - a trial run before the introduce them onto the market.
"Israel’s hi-tech provides solutions for people across the globe dealing with the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, but beyond that, we are producing a high level of best practices and standards for a return to work, which can all be applied worldwide," said Erel Margalit, chairman and founder of JVP. “First and foremost, we need to make sure our workers come to work and return home healthy.”
For the JVP, anyone intended on entering the premises first undergoes an advanced temperature test powered by Thermagate technology, which scans the entirety of a subject's body to assess if the visitor is likely to be carrying COVID-19 or any other related flu-like illness before entering the building. The technology can also be used measure temperature spikes in large crowds, like those that would be found at sport stadiums, metros and shopping centers alike.
As visitors and employees enter the building have the option to take fresh gloves and 3D printed face masks for duration of their stay. Before arriving, all visitors undergo a mandatory medical questionnaire, which can be done online.
Within the building itself, a robot designed by TEMI Personal Robots assists employees in transferring papers to one another throughout the workplace, allowing them to adhere to social distancing protocols while staying efficient. Additionally, all door handles - a hotspot for bacteria buildup - are fitted with sanitizing materials at hand to assist in containing the spread of illness-causing bacteria and are given an overhaul cleaning by janitorial staff once an hour.
With the help of Israeli technologies and the stringent social distancing standards they have set within the workplace itself, JVP is doing everything in their power to return their employees to work safely.
As the Health Ministry began relaxing restrictions on Israeli life Sunday, Israel will inadvertently become one of the first country "guinea pigs," for lack of better term, that will be tested in the following weeks - determining if its possible for the world to return to normalcy while the coronavirus spread and the real dangers behind it resurfacing still live and breathe.
Following the pilot's testing at the JVP offices in Jerusalem, the venture capital group hopes to market these protocols and implement these Israeli coronavirus fighting technologies in offices worldwide.