By Jessica Easthope
Once the bell rings on September 9, most of the Catholic schools in the Brooklyn Diocese will once again be flooded with students.
Everyone’s face has to be covered and temperatures must be taken. Now there’s new technology designed to make sure those guidelines are followed and kids get into school quickly and safely — the “COVID Kiosk.”
“They need a device to be put in front, just because a parent is sending their child to a school, this is a standalone device with robust software with management tools behind it that can grow within your network,” said Frank Marinello, CEO of Hunter Telecom, the company that sells the COVID Kiosk.
“You walk in front of it, and within one second it will tell you if you answered your COVID questions if that’s part of the entrance policy. It will give you a temperature and also mask detection,” said Frank.
Some schools are using handheld thermometers and even thermal cameras, but the COVID Kiosk, which sells for $2,875, sets itself apart.
“This is more focused individual, one kid at a time, self containing and non intrusive,” said Gene Venturino, the COO of Hunter Telecom.
The COVID Kiosk will detect a person’s temperature and if they’re wearing a mask or not. It can even stop them from entering a building without one.
“It will go into what activates a turnstyle or an electromagnetic door, or a secondary kiosk, it works as a security device if a security guard’s behind a desk and the first thing you need is to know what your temperature is,” Frank explained.
According to the Brooklyn Diocese reopening plan, everyone in school is required to wear a face covering and schools must conduct daily health screenings and temperature checks. Several schools in the Brooklyn Diocese are already looking to use the COVID Kiosk for the start of the school year.
“The budgets are completely different than the DOE budget, we really try to make it affordable and make sure the safety of the employees and the children is far exceeding the price of the machine,” said Frank.
Hunter Telecom says the device was created out of a need, but will outlive the pandemic.
“In schools you can have it where it checks your attendance, we want to continue to develop the software so they get full use out of it,” said Gene.
Hunter Telecom is trying to get the COVID Kiosk into as many schools as possible before the first day back.