One step forward, two steps back.
As the new confirmed cases in the U.S. touched a record high of single-day confirmed cases with 40,173 on Monday, some states plan to return to lockdown restrictions to prevent a surge. So far, Massachusetts is not among them, as we've seen our numbers decrease substantially since the peak of our own surge. But vigilance remains paramount.
At Cambridge-based LabCentral, a zero-equity incubator for biotech companies, "this is the new normal."
LabCentral never shut its doors, since it supports several companies deemed "essential" as they develop solutions to Covid-19. The incubator did implement a work-from-home policy early enough (March 10) and has been operating at a reduced capacity. The incubator isn't allowing any visitors or holding any events and it has asked its members to work in shifts.
In terms of design changes, LabCentral’s VP of business operations and technology, Celina Chang noted that a lot of furniture has been removed, and workstations are separated by a plexiglass.
Other additions to the space include thermal scanners, a "doubling-down" on decontamination efforts and symptom checks.
"We are not convinced that the thermal scanners are going to be helpful," Chang said. "But we do recognize that part of what makes it a safe workplace is if people feel safe."
Chang noted that while LabCentral is trying its best to address concerns, the safety measures are just one piece of the puzzle and cannot be implemented indefinitely.To that end, LabCentral is looking to bring rapid and affordable (under $10) Covid testing to its premises."We are thinking about testing on site for our community," Chang said. "We want to help the small companies working on this."
