The Covid-19 pandemic has created anxiety and fear over accessing or using public facilities, such as public transport, ATM machines, park benches, and even shopping carts. All of this because the spread of Covid-19 starts from droplets that can stay long in some materials such as plastics, stainless steel, benchtops, and glass. 

Research on Covid-19 Aerosol and Surface Stability found that Covid-19 can survive and remain infectious in airborne droplets but the research does not cite whether humans can produce enough in a single cough to infect another person. In hard, shiny surfaces such as doors and public transport handles and phones, the virus can stay up to 72 hours while it does degrade over time. It took 24 hours for researchers to find no more viable traces of Covid-19 virus on fibrous and absorbent surfaces, such as cardboard, paper, fabric and hessian, yet it becomes inactive more quickly in these surfaces. 

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Cash is not necessarily dangerous 

As virus droplets can survive relatively longer in fibrous and absorbent surfaces such as paper, many people began to consider the cash they bring every day. There are individuals who worry that the cash itself could be a source for transmission, reported The Wall Street Journal. 

Whilst people are raising their concern about public transactions using cash, associate professor of epidemiology, Emily Martin cited that individuals don’t have to be concerned that money is dangerous. Public ATMs and stores are also paying attention to public hygiene and disinfect every product on high-touch surfaces. 

Switching to contactless payment is advisable 

Cash might not bring high risk, but individuals could switch to digital wallets or contactless payment as it is relatively safer to use. Contactless technology allows customers to pay by tapping their cards to the point-to-sale terminal. The cards are a faster alternative to chip-and-PIN payments and require less physical interaction, thus, lowering the virus exposure. 

Cyndie Martini, president of Seattle-based Member Access Processing, told WSJ that consumers now prefer to use digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay to avoid touching bills and coins during the outbreak. Digital wallet is another alternative to contactless payment and it is also easier in the process. 

In conclusion, it is time to consider using contactless payment alternatives and digital cards. Employers can encourage employees by paying the salary in contactless payment to better assist their people into healthier self. 

Benefits of paying employees using contactless payments 

Contactless payment is not something new. Australia, South Korea, and the U.K. companies have adopted the method on a broad scale due to its benefits for both employees and employers. Here are three benefits to highlight. 

• Security: There is a very low incidence of fraud when it comes to contactless payments because contactless payments are PCI compliant. Therefore, customers and business owners alike can rest assured that personal information is safe. 
• Speed of service: Transactions through chip technology are relatively taking longer time. Customers expect fast and reliable service which contactless payment can provide. 
• Customer satisfaction: By offering contactless payments, businesses might be viewed as more forward-thinking. Customers will also be happier because they are not stuck waiting in long, slow-moving lines when paying for their shopping.

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