Health Screeners

HEALTH SCREENERS, ASSEMBLE!

Temporary employees are the circuit's first line of defense in the fight against COVID-19

Meet the frontline workers of Court Administration’s newest department, Health Screeners. The tools of their trade – face coverings, laminated health questions in English and Spanish, and thermal scanners.

At 7:30 a.m. small teams assemble outside the court buildings in Bradenton, Sarasota, and Venice. Health screeners and assorted volunteer court staff gather and set out the day’s equipment: laptop with WiFi, dockets, pens, and hand sanitizer — buckets of it.

As people arrive to attend in-person hearings court staff gets busy checking dockets and directing people to the right courtroom, and screeners get busy asking health questions and checking temperatures.

The physical arrangements for the staging area of the check in stations vary from one location to the next, think indoor vs. outdoor; sweat-wicking clothes vs. business casual; fans vs. air-conditioning; but the process, signage, and health questions are the same:

“Do you have any [COVID-19] symptoms?”
“Are you currently awaiting the results of a test to determine if you have COVID-19?”
“Are you under instructions to self-isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19?”
“Have you had close contact with someone with a COVID-19 diagnosis or who is awaiting test results for COVID-19?”
“Have you traveled to an area with a notably high concentration of COVID-19 cases?”

If a person answers, “Yes,” to any question or the person has a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, the screener redirects the person to court staff for an alternate court date.

Together we’re working to stop COVID-19 from coming into court buildings so we can keep court staff and the public safe, and be able to fully serve our communities again.

Bradenton Health Screeners, Manatee County Judicial Center
DeAnn, Roger, and John

Sarasota Health Screeners, Silvertooth Judicial Center
Lateaka and Rona

Venice Health Screeners, R.L. Anderson Building
Lisa

Department heads, staff attorneys, court reporters, even a few judges have volunteered to check in people as they arrived for criminal arraignments, Early Case Resolution hearings and assorted other matters being held live for the first time since March.

Check-in Squad

Chief Judge Kimberly Bonner and Judicial Assistant Marilu Griner (left) break for the camera while they check in people at the Silvertooth Judicial Center.

How May I Help You?

Circuit Judge Thomas Krug and Judicial Assistant Jennifer Peters help a person check in at the Silvertooth Judicial Center.

Reviewing the Docket

Digital Court Recording Manager Mary Cook reviews the days’ docket as she prepares for people arriving for hearings at the Silvertooth Judicial Center.