In March, Congress allotted $2.2 trillion of emergency aid funding via the CARES Act in order to help Americans directly affected by the pandemic. $14 billion of the fund has been allocated to higher education institutions and deemed the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. This money is designed to help schools reopen campuses with improved safety measures and comprehensive student support to keep their communities safe and healthy.
Now that the money has been provided, the question is how should schools spend it? This challenge is two fold. First, schools have to figure out which safety measures are most effective, both financially and in terms of campus wellness. Second, the money disappears if they don’t spend it by December 31st.
So far, many schools have invested a portion of that money on stickers and signage that remind students to wash their hands, wear masks, and stay 6ft away from each other. However, these temporary placards are only so effective and will become obsolete once the pandemic subsides.
Fortunately, we’ve done some research and figured out that universities can apply that money toward Density’s people counting platform. Safe by Density is a highly accurate and effective solution that universities across the country are using to maintain safe capacity limits in common areas like dining halls, libraries, lounges, and gyms.
Safe Displays, Alerts, and Analytics enable facilities teams to monitor occupancy levels in real-time and empower students to self-regulate foot traffic all around campus. Unlike temporary signage, Density’s people counting platform also provides real-time data to help facilities teams clean spaces based on actual usage. Campus cleaning crews can identify highly trafficked areas and target them for additional cleaning protocols while avoiding spaces that have not been visited.
Schools like University of Notre Dame, NYU, and University of Florida are already using this technology to monitor the occupancy and activity in gymnasiums, restrooms, libraries, and cafeterias. Plus, as schools reopen and the pandemic eventually subsides, schools can use Density to help plan new spaces, improve campus experience, and save money by identifying areas of unused real estate.
To learn more about Density’s people counting platform and how to apply the CARES Act funding to our solution, we’d be happy to set up a demo with one of our product specialists. Please reach out to us via sales@density.io