https://arab.news/6k8ub
- Some countries will jail people for failing to report sickness to authorities
- Just a quarter said they believe this is a breach of their liberties
DUBAI: Nearly three quarters of people believe it is important for governments to monitor our movements and medical reports during the coronavirus pandemic, according to an Arab News Twitter poll.
Countries around the globe have been forced to introduce strict rules as they fight to slow the spread of the potentially deadly virus that has claimed the lives of over 126,000 people around the world.
In the UAE if you are aware – or suspect - that someone, including yourself, is infected with the virus and fail to report it to the authorities, you face fines and even jail.
Other laws being enforced around the world have included lockdowns with people needing to apply for permits to leave their homes – or face fines.
In some countries where the permit is applied for online the police say they will track your journey to make sure you’re going where you said.
And while some believe this is an infringement on their civil liberties, a resounding 74 percent responded to our poll saying it was necessary for the authorities to gather this information if it helped to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“I would rather walk around knowing that my chances of catching the deadly virus is nil if that means being monitored by a app, rather walking around taking the risk everyday that I could catch it,” @sajadah tweeted, adding: “You cannot calculate this risk.”
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