NSW coronavirus cases are growing at alarming rates – with a spike of another 149 new cases last night being the biggest jump so far, so the government is actually considering tapping your phone locations to make sure you self-isolate.
In response to NSW having the highest rates of coronavirus cases, the NSW gov has ordered that most work places have been ordered to work from home, universities are going online, schools are non-compulsory with attendance discouraged, and restaurants are only allowed to work as a take-away service.
Basically we’re in lock-down, baby.
The thing is, there’s been heaps of concern about new travellers – who are ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days – being out and about anyway, ignoring isolation advice.
Italy three weeks ago: 229 confirmed cases of COVID-19
Australia now: 876 confirmed cases
Italy now: 41,035 cases and 3,405 deaths
Bondi beach now: pic.twitter.com/2Js78OQwID— Isabelle Truman (@isabelletruman) March 20, 2020
To be fair, people who ignore self-isolation advice might be doing so for genuine reason – like grocery shopping, or having to work (since many retail stores are still open, including the one I work at). But also, some people are just fucking idiots – beaches literally had to be closed because Aussies refused to stay at home instead of partying on the sand.
Police Are Considering Monitoring People Who Don’t Self-Isolate
The crazy thing is that in an interview on Sunrise, NSW Police Minister David Elliot literally said they were considering monitoring people’s phone location data so they can tell if people are at home.
This is specifically for people who have been given an order to self-isolate, like if you have just come back from travelling overseas, or if you have been in contact with someone that was tested positive. The consequences of ignoring orders is pretty dire already – with fines and potential jail.
“I’ve already had preliminary discussions about monitoring people’s mobile phones,”Elliot said.
“The message has got to be clear that this is serious, you have to take responsibility for your own actions and if you don’t, the police have got the powers to monitor you.”
Firstly that’s an invasion of privacy and secondly like others have said people would just leave their phones at home so it’s a waste … good idea in theory but wouldn’t work
— Courtney (@CourtneyTress) March 23, 2020
Well, that’s very 1984. People aren’t happy about the prospect of being monitored, with some calling the hysteria around Chinese surveillance hypocritical if our own government can do the same thing.
It’s definitely a huge development, with very creepy implications for a police state.
Others, of course, are saying what most of us zoomers are thinking – people will just leave their phones at home.
Image Sources: Twitter
