[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The government has decided to introduce electronic wristbands (electronic bracelets) for those who violate the mandatory self-quarantine rules for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Additionally, it will enhance the functions of safety protection applications (apps) such as motion detection and significantly strengthen surprise inspections.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office on the 11th, stating, "We have been considering using electronic wristbands as an auxiliary measure to strengthen the management of self-quarantined individuals, as some self-quarantined persons' deviant behaviors have caused public anxiety." He added, "After careful discussion, it was concluded that only those who violate guidelines such as unauthorized departure or non-response to calls will be required to wear electronic wristbands."
Previously, the government developed and distributed a dedicated app for managing self-quarantined individuals. However, cases of unauthorized departure, such as leaving smartphones at home, continued to occur. Since mandatory self-quarantine was imposed on all entrants to prevent overseas inflow of COVID-19 and a 'zero tolerance policy' was announced, it was judged that stronger management was necessary.
According to the CDSCH, from February 17 to the 9th of this month, a total of 169 people violated self-quarantine guidelines, including unauthorized departure.
Prime Minister Chung said, "We gathered opinions from quarantine experts, local communities, political circles, and also listened carefully to what the public thinks," explaining, "While many agreed on the necessity of introduction, there were also considerable concerns about human rights violations."
He continued, "Since self-quarantined individuals are neither criminals nor negligent, we had deep concerns," emphasizing the inevitability of the limited introduction of electronic wristbands.
Along with the introduction of electronic wristbands, Prime Minister Chung stressed, "We will also enhance the functions of safety protection apps such as motion detection and significantly expand surprise inspections to further strengthen the current self-quarantine management system."
Prime Minister Chung also mentioned the online school openings that began sequentially on the 9th for 9th and 12th-grade students. He said, "Thanks to the good response on the ground, it proceeded without major confusion despite some shortcomings," evaluating, "There were cases of unstable or interrupted connections, and there were quite a few complaints about the quality of remote classes."
He added, "When online school opens next Thursday (the 16th) for students from 4th grade and above in elementary school, the load is expected to be more than four times the current level," urging, "Please use the weekend to secure server processing capacity and correct as many issues raised over the past two days as possible."
He also said, "It would be good to discover exemplary cases of remote classes with high student satisfaction and share them so that other schools and teachers can benchmark."
Prime Minister Chung further stated, "Yesterday, the number of new confirmed cases dropped to 27, and notably, there were no new confirmed cases in Daegu," adding, "Although we cannot let our guard down, it is true that we feel relieved. Compared to the tense situation where the mayor of Daegu and I were rushing around the field to secure hospital beds for the rapidly increasing patients, this is truly an amazing turnaround."
He also expressed, "I would like to extend my deep gratitude to the medical staff and volunteers on the ground who created this near-miraculous turnaround, the Daegu city officials, and above all, the citizens of Daegu who responded calmly with a high level of civic awareness."
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