Last week the Global Guardian team had the chance to sit down with the Global Business Travel Association audience to discuss Global Affairs Beyond COVID-19 and what lies ahead in 2021. 

The list of services the COVID-19 pandemic has forced to change is long with corporate duty of care being one of them. According to the Wall Street Journal “Many employees who are now working from home due to the pandemic don’t have the same protections—such as a badge system or a front-desk security guard—often found in corporate office buildings. If a threat is credible, remote employees and their families could be more vulnerable.”

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused more than 63 million infections and over 1.4 million deaths worldwide, has exposed a critical shortage of lifesaving personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United States. As suppliers have rushed to meet this demand, the quality of PPE imported from abroad has frequently fallen short even as these products are often sold at inflated prices. Consumers are literally risking their lives and paying more to do so.

New cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across the country. The U.S. saw a record high 198,000 new cases on 20 November and hospitalizations are up 49 percent across the country compared to the same period two weeks ago. The dramatic rise in cases and hospitalizations prompted the CDC to urge Americans to reconsider travel during the holiday season.

New cases and hospitalizations continue to surge. The U.S. saw a record high 142,000 new cases on 11 November and hospitalizations are up 37 percent across the country over the last 14 days. Daily new cases are averaging 128,000 over the last seven days, an increase of 69 percent over the week prior. Hospitals in the Midwest are approaching capacity, and some states, such as Wisconsin, have deployed a field hospital to deal with overflow.

In TIME magazine's recent article, "The U.S. Capital Looks Like the Anxiety Americans Are Feeling on Election Day", the Global Guardian team was quoted for their predictions in their recent intelligence report.

In this week's NY Times DealBook, they highlighted how corporate America is preparing for a momentous election. Dale Buckner of Global Guardian had a chance to sit down with Lauren Hirsch to talk about companies’ preparations for potential unrest after the vote.

With less than one week until Election Day, tensions around the country are mounting. While the year 2020 has brought many surprises, the controversial nature of the election is one of the few certainties. Reeling from the human and economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, and facing severe racial strife – the perceived stakes are high. What’s more, a combination of technical and political challenges has set the stage for a disputed election in which there is an elevated possibility for election-related unrest.

Global Guardian is standing by to support in the event of post-election unrest. We can provide physical security by deploying executive protection agents, arrange secure transportation, monitor intelligent camera surveillance systems, and are ready to provide automated alerts and custom intelligence on emerging areas of unrest. To request security support, click here.