JEDDAH: Smart helmets using thermal radiation to scan nearby individuals are being used to identify people with elevated body temperatures in public spaces. The Eastern Province Municipality has implemented the use of the helmets to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in public places and shopping malls. The mayor of the Eastern Province, Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir, said that the helmets use thermal radiation to measure temperatures up to five meters away, can examine up to 200 people per minute, and give an alert if someone has a fever. He said that a number of the municipality’s employees have been trained to operate the smart helmets in several commercial sites and markets to provide the highest levels of prevention and health safety. Al-Jubeir said that if a person was found to have a high temperature, the necessary measures would be taken and the health authorities would be informed. Al-Jubeir stressed that the Eastern Province municipality is keen to employ all available expertise and high-tech devices as part of its preventive measures to stop the spread of coronavirus.