GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Kent County is rolling out a new screening process to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Kent County: Back to Work Safely is a program used by employers to screen employees for coronavirus symptoms at the start of their shift.
It starts with a "quick symptom" survey followed by a temperature scan.
If employees are given the okay, they are allowed to start their shift. If they do not pass, they are sent home and instructed to call their doctor.
Michigan State University, meanwhile, anonymously collects the data to find hot spots.
"Our role in this is to really provide the backroom process where the data is coming in, and then we'll aggregate that data," said MSU Executive Vice President for Health Sciences Norman Beauchamp. The information is then sent to the companies for monitoring and sent to the Kent County Health Department to monitor for outbreaks and hot spots.
The screenings should be done with proper personal protection equipment and social distancing.
About 150 employers have already signed up, and it's hoped more Kent County employers join in.
