(Seahawks Photos)

The Seattle Seahawks are turning to technology to help keep players and personnel safe as a season unlike any other kicks off next month.

The team is now using CLEAR’s Health Pass software to screen players, coaches, and support staff at its training facility near Seattle and at CenturyLink Field. It’s the first NFL franchise to use the service, which launched in May and is already implemented in the NHL and at restaurants.

Before arriving at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center each day, Seahawks personnel are required to log into the Health Pass app, verify their identity with a selfie photo, and answer health screening questions. When they arrive, the app is scanned at the entrance and a user gets a green or red check — green means all is good, while red requires more questions to be answered.

Health Pass is being used alongside the NFL’s other COVID-19 screening protocols including routine testing, daily temperature checks, mask wearing, and more.

With air travel down due to the pandemic, CLEAR is finding other use cases for its security software. The New York-based company is best known for its identity verification technology at more than 50 airports and venues across the U.S. It previously worked with the Seahawks in 2018 to offer “fast lanes” at the CenturyLink Field entrance and for food and drink purchasing.

Recode reported that some privacy advocates are raising concerns about Health Pass given the type of private data collected, and one expert said it could become part of “security theater.” Some U.S. senators also sent privacy-related questions to the company.

CLEAR says it could potentially integrate data such as a vaccine status into Health Pass. Here’s Clear CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker talking about Health Pass in May:

After nearly two weeks of testing, receiver John Ursua on Sunday became the first Seahawks player listed on the league’s COVID-19 list, which tracks players who either tested positive or came into close contact with someone who did.

Players began reporting to training camp late last month and padded practices begin this week. The season is scheduled to begin Sept. 10; there are no preseason games this year.

More than 60 players have already opted out of playing. The NFL is not using a “bubble” strategy like the NBA and NHL. The upcoming season for college football is up in the air; the Big Ten reportedly will cancel games this fall.

The latest data from the NFLPA shows 107 positive cases for players during the offseason, and 56 since training camp began.

There are a number of companies selling COVID-related screening tools, including various health tech firms. Fitbit recently debuted a “Ready for Work” symptom tracker. Microsoft and UnitedHealth Group rolled out a free app in May called ProtectWell that surveys workers about their health. Companies such as Amazon are conducting temperature checks and setting up COVID-19 tests across its operations network.

The first spinout from a new Seattle innovation studio run by Pioneer Square Labs (PSL) and Fortive is TeamSense, which helps employers track COVID-19 symptoms at the workplace.

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