Hand Bands With Chips for Tracking COVID-19 Cases
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Ministry of Health is considering new measures to force quarantine and isolation of cases
The Ministry of Health is exploring various options to force compliance for individuals who should be in mandated quarantine but is in defiance.
Public Health Expert and COVID19 Response Coordinator Merceline Dahl-Regis revealed that hand bands with chips is a measure that is being considered and explored to ensure people follow quarantine protocols.
She said the ministry is considering partnership with the telecommunications companies to achieve this.
“We had a spirited discussion on what may we use to facilitate contact tracing…hand bands with a chip in it…and to work with the telecommunication companies to identify the location and the compliance. That has been the most recent suggestion recognizing that we don’t have enough ankle bracelets and that would be rather draconian.
“We are looking at an application that we can use and that’s cost effective. Because we recognize that what we are doing now is not working,” Dahl Regis said.
In a recent press statement, the ministry asked individuals who have been requested to remain home in isolation or quarantine, to stay in their homes until the time of isolation or quarantine has ended.
Health officials asked that those individuals consider having a family member conduct shopping errands for essential items as “compliance with this condition is paramount to avoiding the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.”
The ministry revealed on Thursday that 890 people are quarantined, and some are linked to nine healthcare workers who also quarantined.
