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South Korea has announced plans to strap tracking wristbands on people who ignore quarantine orders, with officials warning that stricter controls were required to enforce self-isolation rules.
Some of the 57,000 people who are under orders to stay home have apparently slipped out by leaving behind their smartphones, which are currently used to monitor movement.
A South Korean health official, Yoon Tae-ho, acknowledged privacy concerns but said the wristbands were necessary because the number of people under self-quarantine has soared over recent weeks. Since April 1, the country has required new arrivals from abroad to isolate for 14-day.
Lee Beom-seok, an official from the ministry of the interior and safety, said the government could not force people to wear the wristbands, but that citizens would be asked to sign consent forms. Those who agree to do so could be considered for lighter punishment. People can face up to a year in prison or fined as much as $8,200 for breaking quarantine orders in the country.
South Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at least 886 of the countrys 10,480 coronavirus infections have been traced to international arrivals.
Here’s a bit of positive news from Turkey, where doctors are celebrating the recovery of a 93-year-old woman, Alye Gunduz, who was discharged from an Istanbul hospital following 10 days of treatment.
“It is promising because patients at this age and with chronic diseases are most of the time unable to recover because they are at highest risk from Covid-19,” chief physician Zekayi Kutlubay told AFP.
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