Hilo and Kona Airports now have thermal cameras to detect fever

August 6, 2020 at 12:06 pm sbracken

The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Airports Division has now installed thermal temperature screening equipment at all state airports getting flights from out of state, including Hilo International Airport and the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole. The thermal temperature screeners will help detect passengers with a temperature of 100.4 degrees and above.

“The thermal screening equipment is a positive feature that streamlines the process for people traveling to Hawaii, while also working to keep the community safe by detecting people with a fever,” said Gov. David Ige. “The equipment is a step in the direction of what will be the new normal as we move forward in the COVID-19 era.”

The cameras are a product of NEC Corporation of America and their partner, Infrared Cameras Inc. The Hawaii National Guard troops will partner with the State Department of Transportation to help screen incoming passengers from out of state. Passengers will no longer have to have their temperature taken with hand-held thermometers, but can just deplane. An alert on the monitor will appear if someone is detected to have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher. The Hawaii National Guard member or an airport representative will then pull that passenger aside for further evaluation.

American Medical Response (AMR) paramedics or the Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) units stationed at the airport will verify the passenger’s temperature. The passenger will be offered a COVID-19 test and the person’s information will be collected to provide to the Hawaii Department of Health for contact tracing, if necessary.

The thermal screeners will only detect people with a fever, but will not detect everybody with COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people can transmit the virus while pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic.

The State DOT plans to have the facial imaging equipment installed by December 31, 2020.

The NEC installation team says 90% of its workers are local residents.

Photos courtesy Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center (JIC). Left is a thermal camera, and right is the thermal image reader. The warning sign is posted wherever the thermal screening cameras are in use.