Should people quarantining in Australia wear a tracking bracelet to stop them spreading coronavirus potentially?
Last week Singapore became the latest country to launch the technology’s version.
If they are not staying in a designated quarantine centre, all incoming travellers over the age of 12 are expected to wear the wristband. Officials are being warned if they are going outside or messing with the system.
What will work here to monitor people’s movements? Or do the risks outweigh any recompense possible?
Hong Kong requires people arriving from other countries to wear a wristband while self-isolating for two weeks. It pairs with a compulsory phone app and is designed to detect if a person has left their hotel room or house.
South Korea announced it planned to force people to wear wristbands if they breached quarantine orders after a number of people reportedly flouted the rules.
Once asked at random times of the day, Poland has needed people quarantining to take selfies — using geolocation and facial recognition apps to ensure they are compliant. Taiwan also has an app to test whether people are isolating themselves.
Belgian port staff have trialled wristbands in a new method, beeping to warn them if they’ve got too close to a colleague. Similar technology was implemented in the isolated ‘NBA bubble’ which allowed the American basketball season to resume in Florida, for officials and media members.
Australia has had its share of violations of quarantine or home isolation.
People in Victoria who have been instructed to self-isolate are no longer allowed to leave their homes for exercise after checks last month on 3,000 people meant to be quarantining found more than 800 weren’t at home.