Jeremy Hunt has suggest the government use GPS tracking to make sure people are self-isolating correctly.
The former Health Secretary and Foreign Secretary said that, if needs be, people that have tested positive for the coronavirus should be monitored like in Taiwan and Poland.
In Taiwan, authorities use mobile phone data to track if someone who is meant to be quarantining has left the house, while in Poland those in quarantine are asked to send periodic selfies proving they're at home, with failure to comply within 20 minutes resulting in the police being notified.
Hunt was tweeting about his thoughts on 'why lockdown isn't working fast enough and what we should do next'.
Advert
He said that closing borders and monitoring new strains isn't enough, adding that it is 'time to fix the biggest flaw in our current strategy, namely that three quarters of those with symptoms do not self-isolate.'
Hunt went on to say: "Efficiently isolating people who are infectious will therefore remain a key part of our strategy for some time.
"Yet Cabinet Office surveys show an extraordinary THREE QUARTERS of those with symptoms do not fully self-isolate. 15% of them even go to work."
He then added: "Closing borders & quarantine hotels is a sensible step... but we won't address [the] heart of the problem unless we deal with domestic transmission.
Advert
"We need to raise compliance with isolation to 95%+ rates achieved in Korea, Taiwan and Singapore."
The 54-year-old went on to list some of the key things he believes need to happen, including guaranteeing salary backfill for the people losing wages as a result of self-isolating.
Another suggestion is: "Daily contact with those asked to self-isolate - using GPS tracking to monitor compliance if necessary as happens in Taiwan and Poland.
Advert
"People need to know how much this matters and if we cannot persuade them to comply at the outset we should keep trying."
Someone responded saying: "GPS tracking? How do you propose that would work if people just switched off their phones? Are you suggesting some kind of dystopian GPS skin implant??!!"
Another added: "GPS tracking etc will significantly discourage people from getting tested in the first place."
A third agreed with the suggestion saying: "In a war, such concerns would be cast aside and the government needs be straight with the public that the magnitude of this national emergency requires this level of response."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: News, Coronavirus, UK
