Those needing to conduct business at the Washington County Courthouse will now be required to have their temperatures checked before entering.
In an effort to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Washington County Board of Supervisors on Monday voted unanimously to require all people be checked with a infrared thermometer.
“They’re able to check your temperature from at least three or four feet away,” BOS attorney Willie Griffin shared.
Griffin highlighted personnel such as the chancery clerk and tax collector’s offices being so close together.
“There’s always the chance that someone may have something on them that can be transferred to someone else because of the lack of social distancing or some other reason,” he said.
Deputies will check people at the door to ensure that no one comes in with a fever or temperature in excess of 100 degrees fahrenheit.
“Of course that’s just one sign of the virus, it’s not conclusive, but we’re going to require people to subject themselves to a quick scan as these are infrared, hand-held devices,” BOS president Carl McGee said.
As it is the right of the county to not allow anyone to enter if in fact he or she has that kind of temperature, Griffin said the measure is in place to protect the health and safety of other persons inside the building already, especially employees and staff of various offices in the courthouse.
“We wanted to ensure they are protected at all times or as best we can,” Griffin said.
