Hong Kong has announced a new drastic measure in the fight against the corona virus. For example, residents who are infected and have to be in isolation will be followed by means of an electronic bracelet. In this way, it will be checked whether the corona patients do not leave their homes.
The bracelets will be deployed from Friday and are mandatory for all Hong Kong residents who have tested positive and are self-isolating at home. “We need to make home insulation more precise, but also humane,” said Health Minister Lo Chung-mau. People who do not adhere to the isolation period of seven to fourteen days (for those who have not been vaccinated or who have only received one dose) risk a fine of 25,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 3,180 euros) and possibly six months in prison.
At the start of the corona pandemic in 2020, Hong Kong was already using two types of tracking bracelets: a plastic wristband with a QR code and later a thicker electronic bracelet. It is not yet clear which type will be used from Friday.
Green, yellow and red
The tracker will follow people via an app on their smartphone. Under the measure, residents are only allowed to appear in public if their personal QR code is green. The code turns yellow as soon as someone has had close contact with an infected person, and a red color when the resident has taken a positive corona test.
People with yellow and red codes are also not allowed in high-risk places, including hospitals and residential care centers. In addition, they are not allowed to perform “risky” activities, such as taking off their mask. Travelers will automatically receive a yellow code, Lo Chung-mau explains in a statement.
Human rights organizations label the corona policy in China as a violation of privacy. They warn that Beijing is collecting the data to monitor residents’ freedoms as much as possible. According to experts, the electronic bracelets will also mean that far fewer people will be tested for fear of serious disabilities.
Hong Kong records about 2,500 infections every day. The city has strict travel restrictions, whereby travelers must first be quarantined in a ‘corona hotel’ for seven days. The measures are in line with China’s ‘Covid zero policy’, which aims to completely eradicate the virus.
Rewatch: Infected in Hong Kong? Then this is what you are waiting for
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