Why Spain’s and UK’s Covid-19 Lockdowns are a Stroll Compared to Bahrain

IF you think that the home isolation measures in countries like Spain and the UK may be too strict, they are not a patch on what a Persian Gulf country is introducing for people that have the coronavirus.

Authorities in Bahrain are planning to force anybody who is under quarantine to be electronically tagged to make sure they follow their rules on stopping the spread of Covid-19.

Every person suspected of having the coronavirus, who is confined to their home or to special quarantine centres, will have to wear a tag.

Government minister, Mohammad Ali, said the first batch of the bracelets was ready, but gave no time scale for when the tagging would start.

People fitted with the electronic bracelets will be told not to move away more than 15 metres from their mobile phone, he said.

While people’s movements can be tracked through their phones, the new measure prevents quarantine violators from escaping detection by leaving their phones at home or in the quarantine centre when they go out.

Mr Ali said the bracelets would be linked to the wearer’s phone and the internet.

People who break quarantine faced fines ranging up to €27,000 or a minimum of three months in jail, he said.

Even with the tags, people could still be asked at random to send selfies to prove they had not left their quarantine areas.

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Written by

Alex Trelinski

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