Vernon's Kal Sports Bar adds high-tech temperature scanner to COVID safety protocols

Pubs and restaurants are having to get creative – not only to stay open amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to abide by provincial health regulations and keep both staff and patrons safe.

And they are coming up with novel ways to do so.

Vernon's Kal Sports Bar has added a high-tech element to numerous safety protocols put in place since the reopening of B.C.'s economy.

Patrons must now pass by a touchless temperature scanner before entering.

It's believed to be the first of its kind in the North Okanagan.

Staff direct you to step up to the device, and you align your face with an outline on the screen before you get a 'go or no-go' response. A high temperature can be a symptom of the coronavirus.

The high-tech device was added just midweek, and manager Lindsay Watters says, so far, the reaction has been positive.

Indeed, lunchtime customers on Friday seemed to enjoy the experience, and at least a couple said the measure adds a certain amount of peace of mind.

After being scanned, staff then spray every patron's hands with sanitizer before they are allowed in, collect their name and phone number, and they are given a run-down of measures in place inside, such as no mingling between tables, which have been reduced in number and separated by dividers.

Watters notes that the device does not store any information or images of patrons.

The Kal reopened in May after a provincially mandated nine-week closure of all bars and restaurants in B.C. that began in March.