At 1:30 pm on Monday, June 15th, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara will host a virtual press conference in which they will talk about keeping Rockford safe as businesses and institutions reopen.

With the help of Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, and Yates Enterprises, which is a company that specializes in a variety of non-contact thermal detectors that can quickly screen individuals as they enter a building, has donated a wall-mounted unit to the Winnebago County Circuit Court to help expedite the checking of temperatures of those entering the building.

Because fever is the only COVID-19 symptom that can be measured, temperature detectors are a safe, efficient, easy-to-use method of helping to prevent the spread of this infectious disease. The Portable Non-Contact Thermal Detector is being used in conjunction with the courthouse’s metal detectors and x-ray machines.

Individuals standing six-feet apart and wearing masks approach the infrared thermal scanner one at a time, placing their forehead or wrist a couple of inches from the sensor. If their temperature is normal, they are free to pass. If above normal, the person is screened again with a handheld infrared forehead thermometer. If the temperature still exceeds the courthouse’s standard, he or she will not be permitted to enter the building. This helps keep potentially ill individuals from infecting others with COVID-19.