There is a little-known provision in the CARES Act that allows state, local, and tribal governments to invest in technology to help protect the health and well-being of their citizens. Governmental entities that have received CARES Act funding are permitted to allocate funds to invest in technology which helps mitigate the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak in buildings and other facilities – and DeCurtis Shield™, an innovative, touchless health screening kiosk, may be part of the solution. It is possible that this purchase can be fully or partially funded through CARES Act Funds.

“The CARES Act requires that the payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only be used to cover expenses that are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19)” stated the Department of the Treasury.

 

Specifically, eligible expenditures include, but are not limited to COVID-19-related public health expenses such as:

• Technical assistance to local authorities or other entities on mitigation of COVID-19-related threats to public health and safety (including contact tracing technology)
• COVID-19-related expenses of maintaining and mitigating risks in state prisons and county jails
• Any other COVID-19-related expenses reasonably necessary to the function of government that satisfy the fund’s eligibility criteria

DeCurtis Shield™ uses smart thermography cameras to quickly assess temperature at the brain thermal tunnel using patent-pending methodology to provide the fastest and most accurate body temperature in any environment. Shield Kiosks can provide a facility’s first line of defense against COVID-19. Because of that it may qualify as a necessary expenditure. If government entities haven’t already budgeted for this technology prior to the establishment of the CARES Act and they invest in Shield Kiosks before December 30th, 2020, the investments could be partially or fully funded.

Important note: If a government entity has not used funds it has received to cover costs that were incurred by December 30, those funds must be returned to the Department of the Treasury. In other words, use it or lose it.

Avoid Banned Technology

While some companies rushed to purchase thermal cameras to identify and screen people with fevers to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, many of those solutions are manufactured overseas and may not be eligible for the use of CARES Act funds. Specifically, according to IPVM, recently “the White House expanded the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) to blacklist anyone who “uses” banned Hikvision/Dahua/Huawei HiSilicon equipment from participating in any federally-funded contracts, regardless of whether the contract involves banned equipment and regardless of the entity spending the federal funds.” Put another way, not only could purchases of cameras or other technology from these named companies be ineligible for CARES funding, the very purchase of them could also have the repercussion of disqualifying buyers from other federal funds, as well.

Fortunately, DeCurtis Corporation’s equipment, DeCurtis Shield™, is proudly made in the USA. Therefore, it qualifies for CARES Act funding, making it an ideal health and safety solution which, in effect, pays for itself. Interested government entities can prepay for a three-year term of Shield and have it fully covered – as long as they act before the Dec. 30th deadline.

About DeCurtis Shield

DeCurtis Shield™ is a stand-alone, contact-free kiosk that, when set up in the entranceway(s) of any building or indoor environment, can quickly and accurately take the temperature of everyone seeking to enter. Using thermal imaging technology, Shield automatically can identify anyone who has a fever within one second to help mitigate the spread of the virus by screening out potentially infected individuals.

Shield Kiosks enable government organizations – as well as businesses, schools, and healthcare facilities – to avoid the slow and risky process of manually screening entrants. It also has a facial identification feature, so it can work in conjunction with an employee badge or government ID, to instantly collect and store data, such as how many people were screened, each individual’s name, their temperature, and the screening date, time, and location. This data can help prove that government facilities are following recommended safety protocols and can be invaluable support in case of litigation.

DeCurtis Shield™ can make an immediate impact by efficiently processing health screening data at any secure entry and/or exit point of your government agency and the constituents you serve, all while being CARES Act eligible. To learn more about all DeCurtis has to offer, visit our website or contact us. Of course, we ask every governmental agency or municipality to seek legal counsel as to their particular eligibility given their past participation in CARES Act Funding.

To learn more about how DeCurtis Shield™ can help your organization create peace of mind for your employees and visitors, contact shieldme@decurtis.com.