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As summer travel continues to increase -- amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic -- the TSA is continuing its efforts to mitigate the spread while passengers pass through airports with its “Stay Healthy. Stay Secure” initiative.
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Among the new protocols are increased safety precautions added to TSA checkpoints including plastic shields, contact-free ID verifications and other measures.
However, one security measure the TSA has not yet made a decision on is temperature screening.
The head of the Transportation Security Administration, David Pekoske, said Tuesday that though no formal decision has been made by the federal government concerning temperature scans for passengers, he is dubious of the efficacy of the procedure.
TSA has not made a definitive decision on temperature screening. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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“I know in talking to our medical professionals and talking to the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] is that temperature checks are not a guarantee that passengers who don’t have an elevated temperature also don’t have COVID-19,” Pekoske said during a teleconference, WFMZ reported.
And passengers who present a higher temperature might not actually have coronavirus.
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Pekoske also said on the call that performing the screenings would be logistically complicated as to where to install the screenings and what agency would conduct them.
As for now, the TSA is requiring travelers to wear masks while in the airport, and airlines have mandated that passengers wear them while onboard planes.
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According to the TSA’s website, the agency is encouraging passengers to practice social distancing and maintain good hygiene while in the airports to prevent the spread of the virus.
“TSA remains committed to the health and safety of our front-line workers and airline travelers,” Pekoske said. “We anticipate these prudent changes in our screening procedures, which seek to limit physical contact and increase physical distance, will achieve the security standard the public expects and facilitate the increasing population of travelers this summer.”