Canadian firm Facedrive’s TraceScan Bluetooth wearable technology for Covid-19 contact tracing hits the market this week.
 
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Labour, Training & Skills Development identified that TraceScan could play a role in increasing the reach of the government’s Covid Alert app and valuable for Ontario-wide workplaces, including workers at sporting venues, corporate offices, healthcare and long-term care facilities, and any public outdoor sites.
 
With the availability of these wearables, contact tracing will be made possible without smartphones among at-risk demographics, such as senior citizens, children and low-income individuals. Wearables also are a viable alternative to contact-tracing applications for workplaces with restricted mobile usage, such as construction workers, healthcare professionals, farmers and other industry professionals.
 
The wearable technology will be used for a pilot project taking place on a construction site made available to all workers. Facedrive Health will provide support in deploying the contact-tracing product, training staff and closely monitoring to ensure a successful adoption. Knowledge from this pilot project will help the deployment strategy across other sectors.
 
“We are extremely excited to take TraceScan wearables to market with the endorsement from the government of Ontario,” said Facedrive CEO Sayan Navaratnam. “This takes us one step closer to making the TraceScan available to businesses across the country and internationally. We believe that the TraceScan wearable technology will be a great addition to the government’s Covid Alert app to make sure we are reaching the underserved and vulnerable demographics and enhance our containment efforts of the pandemic.”
 
Facedrive offers socially responsible services to local communities with a commitment to doing business fairly, equitably and sustainably. Its rideshare was the first to offer green transportation in the transportation-as-a-service space, planting thousands of trees and giving users a choice between EVs, hybrids and conventional vehicles.
 
Facedrive Marketplace offers curated merchandise from sustainably sourced materials. Facedrive Foods offers contactless deliveries of healthy foods to consumers’ doorsteps. Facedrive Health develops technology for acute health challenges.