Australia Healthcare Delta Outbreak: 3 Key Safety Measures

3 Things Australia’s Healthcare Facilities should Keep in Mind during the Delta Outbreak

Since it was first discovered in December 2020, the Delta variant of COVID-19 has been a major concern all over the world, mainly because of how infectious it is compared to the original strain or any other strains. Australia is known to be one of the most successful countries in the world that have managed to keep the Coronavirus cases in check. At one point, Australia even reached zero new cases in the community. This victory did not last long as the Delta strain turns the tables on this country.

In the past few weeks, the new coronavirus cases in Australia have been rising and the country is struggling to take this outbreak under control. The government decided to put the country on strict lockdown. According to an article on the CNN website, “Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says, ‘Restrictions will only ease when 70% of eligible residents receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. What we must do is suppress case numbers sufficiently to buy us time to get people vaccinated.”

3 Things Australia’s Healthcare Facilities should Keep in Mind during the Delta Outbreak

(Photo from Freepik)

As vaccination becomes the focus, Australia’s healthcare facilities ─ especially those that double their function as vaccination centres ─ need to take all the necessary safety measures in order to minimise the risk of any further spreading within the process of vaccinations. That way, the vaccination programme can run smoothly and the target can be achieved. Here are three most important safety measures that healthcare facilities should do:

1. Encourage citizens to get their vaccination by appointment

(Photo by Firmbee on Unsplash)

With the Delta variant running rampant, the last thing anyone would want is overcrowding at the healthcare facilities. It is important for people to do social distancing now more than ever. Yet, the fact still remains that people need to get their doses of vaccine so that the latest outbreak can be suppressed. To avoid overcrowding, healthcare facilities can implement an appointment booking system, like SMARTAPPOINTMENT™ from Business Smart Solutions. This appointment booking system allows people to get information on the services they seek, check real-time queue & availability in each facility, and make an appointment ahead of time. Therefore, it would be easier for healthcare facilities to control how many people are in the facility area at the same time.

2. Replace physical queue with virtual queue

(Photo from Freepik)

Healthcare facilities often struggle with queue control. Physical queues are not only dangerous during this outbreak, but also difficult to organise. To make queuing safer and easier, healthcare facilities should shift to virtual queue. One virtual queue system that offers many benefits is SMARTQUEUE®. This virtual queue system enables self-service, touchless check-in for the patients through their mobile devices before entering the facility. Once they have checked in, they can keep track of their queue status, how many people are ahead of them in line, and the estimated waiting time. They will also get notified when their turns are almost due. That way, they have the flexibility to wait remotely without worrying about missing their turns. Therefore, queue congestion can be eliminated.

3. There is no better precaution than promoting hygiene. Do not forget to provide hand sanitiser!

The importance of using hand sanitiser should not be undermined. Although the main transmission of this virus is through respiratory droplets, people can still get infected if they touch contaminated surfaces. That is why encouraging people to keep their hands clean is very important. Water and soap are not always available and the best alternative is hand sanitiser. What healthcare facilities need is SMARTGUARD™. This automatic hand sanitiser dispenser is equipped with a sensor for contactless application, has a high capacity of up to 5L, and has HD digital signage to deliver real-time information. SMARTGUARD™ is ready to assist healthcare facilities in enforcing hand hygiene for everybody on the facilities.

BSS has so many solutions that are beneficial for healthcare facilities, especially during this tough time. To know the details about the solutions BSS offers, you can contact us at info@bss.com.au.