Bulgaria has become the latest country to test COVID-19 on its residents, Radio Bulgaria reported. At least 50 people will be traced through a wristband GPS satellite device designed by Comarch LifeWristband and developed in Poland.
This tracking system is not the first of its kind. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 virus, China has used a system that extracts citizen data such as their identity, location, even online payment history, so that local police can check if anyone is breaking quarantine rules.
GPS tracking systems are not unheard of. Before the pandemic, GPS systems would track a person’s location even when it was turned off. In 2018, researchers at Northeastern University in Boston were able to track people driving through Boston, Waltham, Massachusetts and London. Even though their GPS was turned off, researchers used other sensors to track them.
The trial in Bulgaria will allow officials to know if the person wearing it is in isolation if required. The device can also monitor the person’s heart rate and can be used to call emergency services. The reason for the wristband is to avoid users leaving their cellphones at home.
Other places that are testing wearable gadgets are Belgium, Lichtenstein, India, Hong Kong and South Korea. Some researchers suggest simple Bluetooth wristbands for people who do not own smartphones.
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Featured Image: Courtesy of BBC News
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