Waterbury Public Schools to Distribute 2,000 Smart Thermometers

Waterbury Public Schools to Distribute 2,000 Smart Thermometers to School Community

Office of Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Public Health Partner with Kinsa to Distribute 85,000 Thermometers Statewide

Waterbury, CT- Waterbury Public Schools is pleased to partner with the Waterbury Department of Public Health to distribute 2,000 Kinsa smart thermometers beginning on Monday, June 15 on a first come basis. The thermometers will be available at each of the 25 schools where meals have been prepared since the closure.

“We work closely with our local health department and the partnership has deepened during this unprecedented time,” said Superintendent Dr. Verna D. Ruffin. “Our collaborative commitment to providing our school community with valuable resources and services continues to expand and evolve.”

The city health department acquired the thermometers from the state to help the state’s COVID-19 response through early detection. Because the thermometers connect to an app, health departments are able to receive aggregate data for statewide illness monitoring.

“The goal for our thermometer distribution is to get them into the hands of the community’s most vulnerable families who do not have access to a thermometer,” said Assistant Director of Public Health Cynthia Vitone. “The Kinsa thermometers are great for families because the app provides real-time guidance on how to triage the symptoms of fever at home. The thermometers are an important public health tool because the data from the app can help provide early-warning of hot spots of illnesses that include fever as a symptom, such as influenza and COVID-19.”