As the hospitality industry around the world seeks to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, contactless temperature screenings are one of the measures that will enable hotels, cruise lines, airlines, and others get back into business. No-contact thermometers will be crucial to the effort to maintain the safety of staff and guests while adhering to regulations and promoting trust.Touchless or no-contact temperature screening is already a best practice in many Asian hotels after their previous experience with SARS, and many hotels in the United States are getting ahead of the curve and adopting no-contact temperature screening as part of their COVID-19 safety protocols.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has included daily temperature screening as part of its tool kit for businesses to operate during the pandemic. The CDC notes in its checklist for employers that daily temperature screenings should be conducted with no-contact thermometers – such as infrared laser thermometers and digital laser thermometers.This is already recommended and even mandatory in some US states: The state of Idaho for example, requires businesses such as restaurants, personal care services, and gyms and fitness centers to conduct temperature screening of employees using no-contact thermometers; New York recommends that commercial building owners and other public places require individuals to undergo no-contact temperature checks prior to being allowed admittance and that they have the discretion to deny admittance to any individual who refuses to undergo a temperature check and to any individual whose temperature is above that proscribed by New York State Department of Health Guidelines.
Disney – No-contact thermometer screening technology
Disney recently announced that it will be requiring guests to undergo temperature screening prior to entering Disney World’s theme parks and Disney Springs, as well as all Disney resort hotels and restaurants. Any guest with a temperature of 100.4 F degrees or higher, will not be permitted to enter, nor will anyone else in their party. The reason that no-contact temperature screening is recommended is that checking temperature using hand held devices requires relatively close proximity between the screener and the person being checked, thus creating a risk of COVID-19 infection.Manual screening is also labor intensive and therefore far more expensive than automated systems such as temperature screening kiosks.
Hospitality reopening protocols
Hotels on both sides of the Atlantic are adopting temperature screening as part of their reopening protocols. The Downtown Fairmont hotel in Pittsburgh is instituting temperature screening for itsplanned reopening in late July, while in the UK hotels are planning to check guests with no-contact thermometers before check-in.The hotel industry has been hit hard by the pandemic; in the US some 70 percent of hotel employees are on furlough and health protocols such as contactless screening will be crucial to getting the industry back on its feet. Reopen the hospitality industry – no-contact thermometer technology
Companies such asIngress-IQ, headquartered in Silicon Valley are providing technologies that enable the hospitality industry to keep visitors and staff safe, comply with regulations and instill trust.Ingress-IQ has developed an automated temperature screening kiosk system that is basically a no-contact thermal camera together with a tablet screen. The system is reliable and fast, with an appealing look and feel and the entire temperature screening process is fully automated with no need for human intervention, and no risk to staff.Systems such as Ingress IQ’s temperature screening kiosks are an important factor in promoting a sense of trust and safety among guests in the hospitality industry as it re-opens amid the coronavirus pandemic. An automated screening kiosk is a highly visible measure that shows safety is being taken extremely seriously.
Technology
One of Ingress-IQ’s optional features is a printed sticker that can for example be added to a guest tag, signaling to visitors and staff that the people in their immediate environment have been screened and are safe to be around. Ingress IQ’s automated temperature camera can take readings from a distance of up to two feet with a deviation of +/- 0.54° fahrenheit and provides a response within just two seconds The no-contact thermal camera, which can be controlled remotely, is able to take a temperature reading even if an employee or visitor leaves their mask on while undergoing screening, and also knows how to disable readings if they have been skewed.If the user has a fever of 100.4 fahrenheit or higher, the screening kiosk will sound an alarm to notify the user.The screening kiosk will sound an alarmOver 2,000 smart thermometers have already been sold to malls, hotels, high-tech companies, schools, and restaurants.The system costs $2,000 per device and rental and lease options are available starting at $175 per month, a price that is far more cost-effective than having staff utilized to manually check temperatures, and of course removes all risk of infection during the screening process.The display stand can also include a built-in hand sanitizing dispenser.The Ingress-IQ temperature screening kiosk comes with options to sync with access and time card systems, as well as automatic doors, enabling seamless management in high-traffic locations.The display can also be optionally programmed to include facial recognition or detect if a mask is worn, should it be required for entry.The Ingress-IQ temperature screening kiosk, integrated on an Android 8.1 device that enables smart capabilities is a best-in-class system that employs top of the range (best-in-class) thermal technologies and comes with a one-year warranty.Temperature screening | A barcode operated daily cell phone e-badge
Features
Among the unique optional features offered by the Ingress-IQ temperature screening kiosk are:
Central remote management of the smart no-contact thermometers – especially important for multiple thermometer deployments
Online symptom questionnaires to adhere with symptom screening requirements.
Optional printed stickers that can be used on a daily basis to show that guests and staff have been screened.
Option to provide users with a barcode operated daily cell phone e-badge (similar to an e-ticket) that can be automatically scanned by the smart thermometer (or any smartphone), to provide access control.
As the hospitality industry changes the way it operates and adopts contactless temperature screenings as part of its protocols to protect employee and guest safety, Ingress IQ’s temperature screening kiosk is an ideal solution.
Founder and editor of trvltrend.com. A tourism professional with many years of experience in digital and offline marketing, e-commerce, integrative media planning, and public relations.
linkedin.com/in/urisharon
The main focus of his writing is digital trends in travel and hospitality. Hold a Master's degree in Tourism Development and Planning from Haifa University.
