‘Have eyes on hands-free thermometers’

Businesses using such self-scanning devices told to assign staff to monitor reading of customers’ temperature as no automatic alert given for those with fever

Many premises misunderstood the usage of these hands-free self-service thermometers. These thermometers may be automated, but they would not be able to alert the premises owner if a customer has a fever or not. Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah

KUCHING: Business owners who mount hands-free electronic thermometers at the entrance of their premises to check the temperature of customers have been urged to monitor the reading to prevent those with fever from entering.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah says these thermometers do not automatically give alert when someone with high temperature self-scans; hence the need to assign someone to monitor the devices.

“Many premises misunderstood the usage of these hands-free selfservice thermometers. These thermometers may be automated, but they would not be able to alert the premises owner if a customer has a fever or not.

“Therefore one of the standard operating procedures (SOP) that we have improved is for a staff member to monitor the handsfree self-service thermometer at all times.

“If a customer has a fever, then the premises owner or the staff can tell the customer to seek treatment immediately,” he said during a Sarawak Disaster Management Commi ee (SDMC) press conference here yesterday.

Uggah, who is SDMC chairman, was elaborating on the changes and enhancements to the SOP for the retail sector, especially those in the Conditional Movement Control Order ( CMCO) and Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) areas.

He said an issue he encountered through his observation was that more and more retail premises were using self-service thermometers, but they just mounted the devices at the entrance of their premises without any staff member manning them.

“The purpose of that thermometer is to find out whether any of your customers is having fever or not. I have not seen any instrument (commercially available) to alert the premises owner if a customer is having fever. Therefore we want to make sure somebody is observing and watching the selfservice thermometer.

“So if any customer is having a fever, they (those manning the thermometer) should tell them to go home or go for treatment.

“But if nobody is manning that thermometer, as I’ve said just now, that thermometer cannot shout, so those with temperature of 39ºC can also enter,” he said.

On a separate ma er, Uggah announced that all kindergartens and tuition centres in Covid-19’s Green Zones in Sarawak would be allowed to operate starting today (Nov 17). He said kindergarten operators, in particular, must comply with the SOP set by SDMC.

Apart from Kuching District, which is a Red Zone, as well as Miri, Lundu and Lawas districts which are all Yellow Zones, the other 36 districts in Sarawak are classified as Green Zones, he added.