SARS: Quarantined people will be monitored with GPS system

The government has announced strict new measures to make sure 
people stay home when they are told they have to.  

By Chang Yun-Ping
STAFF REPORTER

Saturday, May 10, 2003: (Taipei Times) The Cabinet's severe acute 
respiratory syndrome (SARS) response committee yesterday decided 
to implement synchronized alert devices on all home quarantine 
individuals of level A to strictly monitor their movements in compliance 
with the quarantine regulations.  

"In a bid to reinforce the control of all the individuals subject to home 
isolation rules, the government decided to implement the synchronized 
audiovisual alert devices to monitor that all home quarantines stay in 
isolation and do not wander around," Lin Chia-lung, the Cabinet's 
spokesperson said yesterday.  

Approximately 6,000 home quarantines of level A, namely those having 
had close contact with SARS-related people in a closed environment 
like a home or office would be required to be equipped with the portable 
alert device, employing the global positioning system to simultaneously 
reflect the users' whereabouts to the government's control center, 
according to the Ministry of the Interior.  

Deputy Minister of the MOI Chien Tai-lang yesterday announced that 
the device, which will be imported from overseas, is scheduled to 
arrive in Taiwan next Monday.  

The implementation of the device is made in light of the lack of 
manpower to control home quarantine, which was seen as a major hole 
in the entire SARS prevention mechanism.  

The method was made based on Singapore's draconian way to limit the 
mobility of all home quarantines by forcing them to wear portable alert  
devices. 

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Copyright 1999-2003 The Taipei Times


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Cheers, Steve..

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