The federal government will distribute non-contact infrared thermometers (NCIT) to support phased reopening of the Nation’s workplaces and restarting of the American economy.
Objective
Under the Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, all employers should implement policies to ensure the safety of their employees and customers, in accordance with federal, state, tribal, and local regulations and guidance throughout all phases of reopening. This includes consulting industry best practices to reduce the risk of occurrence of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. Temperature checks are one important part of an assessment symptom screening process that includes checking for fever. Fever is one of many symptoms to reduce social exposure to individuals who may be exhibiting elevated temperature.
To support the Nation’s safe reopening, the federal government is provisioning an initial supply of non-contact infrared thermometers (NCIT) for businesses and other essential workplaces. NCIT should be used in accordance with CDC guidance for businesses and employers and OSHA guidance for preparing workplaces for identifying potentially ill individuals including employees, customers, vendors or other visitors. NCIT have many benefits but must be used properly to get accurate readings – refer to FDA recommendations on proper use of non-contact infrared thermometers. To help reduce the risk of reemergence, NCIT are intended for businesses with a high degree of person-to-person interaction, which are potential areas of concern for community transmission of the virus. Temperature checks are not effective as a stand-alone because a person with COVID-19 may not have a fever; other measures to reduce potential exposure are also important.
State, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) governments play a critical role in involving the whole community in preparing for the resumption of governmental and private sector functions and recovering from a health and economic crisis. NCIT are being provided to SLTT governments for further distribution to local authorities and businesses based on current conditions and their individual reopening plans and priorities. NCIT have been acquired using HHS supplemental funding, and are being distributed via the Strategic National Stockpile; therefore, their purchase and distribution are not subject to typical Stafford Act prohibitions that would prevent provision to private business entities. SLTT governments have significant flexibility in how to allocate NCIT but must distribute these supplies without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, sex, disability, or the exercise of religion or conscience, as required by federal civil rights laws. For more information about civil rights and the COVID-19 emergency, visit HHS.gov.
State Allocations
The quantities of NCIT allocated for each state, territory and the District of Columbia differ are provided below. These total over 430,000. Additionally, 8,000 NCIT have been initially allocated for tribal nations.
The federal government determined allocation amounts based on the estimated number of private business workplaces in each state with 50 or more employees. This was based on analysis of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. SLTT governments should apply their own analysis to support distribution.
Distribution of Infrared Thermometers by Federal Government Allocated for Each State and Territory
StateNumber of Thermometers
Alabama5,561
Alaska787
American Samoa21
Arizona8,564
Arkansas3,333
California50,347
Colorado7,943
Connecticut4,862
Delaware1,327
District Of Columbia1,930
Florida26,771
Georgia13,508
Guam147
Hawaii1,939
Idaho1,974
Illinois17,734
Indiana9,385
Iowa4,311
Kansas3,905
Kentucky5,458
Louisiana5,775
Maine1,612
Maryland8,056
Massachusetts10,627
Michigan12,507
Minnesota8,644
Mississippi3,029
Missouri8,003
Montana1,113
Nebraska2,552
Nevada3,975
New Hampshire1,912
New Jersey11,659
New Mexico2,237
New York24,538
North Carolina13,402
North Dakota1,175
N. Marianas Islands73
Ohio17,014
Oklahoma4,538
Oregon5,235
Pennsylvania8,003
Puerto Rico2,130
Rhode Island1,392
South Carolina6,334
South Dakota1,050
Tennessee9,089
Texas38,259
Utah4,322
Vermont808
Virgin Islands101
Virginia11,510
Washington9,154
West Virginia1,835
Wisconsin8,878
Wyoming586
-->
What to Expect
- FEMA will coordinate initial distribution and delivery to state, territorial and tribal locations in late May 2020.
- Additional NCIT are expected to be available in June. Local governments should make requests of states, with states making requests of FEMA Regions through the FEMA Resource Request Form (RRF) process.
- The initial amount allocated by the federal government is not intended to supply 100 percent of business operations; workplaces with unmet needs will need to pursue, independent of the federal government, the acquisition of additional equipment needed to reopen safely and in line with CDC guidance.
Distribution Guidelines
States, tribal nations, territories and the District of Columbia will be responsible for distributing NCIT and will have significant flexibility as to how they are distributed within their jurisdiction. The following guidance is provided:
- Consider priority to workplaces with Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers and a high degree of person-to-person interaction.
- Next, consider priority to workplaces with a high degree of person-to-person interaction that are currently operating or have been identified to reopen based on individual state plans.
- Next, consider state and local offices with operations that support the reopening of businesses and community services and that require a high degree of person-to-person interaction.
- Finally, consider other workplaces with a high degree of person-to-person interaction at the discretion of the state.