South Korea vows to strap GPS tracker wristbands on lockdown flouters to stem coronavirus spread – as nation’s infections fall while death toll is 214
- South Korea will begin rolling out trackable wristbands to lockdown flouters
- Controls are required because some people defied orders to stay at home
- Country has seen 10,512 confirmed cases with 214 deaths from coronavirus
- Wristband believed to be similar to Hong Kong’s which was issued in March
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
South Korea has announced plans to strap tracking wristbands on people who defy quarantine orders, as it tightens monitoring to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
Officials said stricter controls are required because some of the 57,000 people who are under orders to stay at home have slipped out by leaving behind smartphones with tracking apps.
But the plans for broader use of wristbands have been scaled back after objections by human rights and legal activists.
Officials said stricter controls are required because some of the 57,000 people who are under orders to stay at home have slipped out by leaving behind smartphones with tracking apps. Pictured: The wristband used by Hong Kong to track those quarantining upon arrival
In March, Hong Kong required all arriving passengers under a two-week quarantine and medical surveillance to wear a similar wristband in an attempt to prevent spread of the virus.
The electronic wristband was accompanied by a smartphone app, was generated widespread privacy concerns.
But most of those quarantining reportedly went unmonitored, with only a third of the 6,000 wristbands issued to them being activated, authorities later revealed.
South Korea has seen 10,512 confirmed cases with 214 deaths, significantly lower than most Western countries.
But the plans for broader use of wristbands have been scaled back after objections by human rights and legal activists
But South Korean residents shouldn’t fear electronic wristbands just yet, as he added that the South Korean government is well aware of the negative connotations that come using electronic wristbands.
Senior Health Ministry official Yoon Tae-ho acknowledged the privacy and civil liberty concerns surrounding the bands, which will be enforced through police and local administrative officials after two weeks of preparation and manufacturing.
‘Most of those who are in quarantine are following protocols well but there have been some violations. We will come up with the most efficient measure after further discussions,’ he said.
But he added authorities need more effective monitoring tools because the number of people placed under self-quarantine has ballooned after the country began enforcing 14-day quarantines on all passengers arriving from abroad on April 1 amid worsening outbreaks in Europe and the United States.
South Korea has seen 10,512 confirmed cases with 214 deaths, significantly lower than most Western countries
Lee Beom-seok, an official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, admitted that the legal grounds for forcing people to wear the wristbands were ‘insufficient” and that police and local officials will offer consent forms for the devices while investigating those who were caught breaking quarantine.
Under the country’s recently strengthened laws on infectious diseases, people can face up to a year in prison or fined as much as $8,200 for breaking quarantine orders. Lee said those who agree to wear the wristbands could be possibly considered for lighter punishment.
The wristbands, which communicate with tracking apps installed on smartphones through Bluetooth, are designed to alert officials if the wearers leave home or try to destroy or cut them off.
South Korea’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said at least 886 of the country’s 10,480 coronavirus infections have been traced to international arrivals.
