Electronic Bracelets for Travellers to Jordan to Ensure Home Quarantine
Electronic Bracelets for Travellers to Jordan to Ensure Home Quarantine
A passenger wears an electronic wristband handed upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, on March 19, 2020. © Photo: TYRONE SIU/REUTERS

Travellers entering Jordan must now wear an electronic bracelets to guarantee that they observe home quarantine against the spread of coronavirus. The policy took effect on 4 July.

The two-week home quarantine follows an initial 14-day isolation period during which people arriving in Jordan must stay at specific hotels. The hotels, designated by authorities, are situated on the shores of the Dead Sea, west of the capital Amman.

Bracelets are being tried and will be connected to the person’s phone via Bluetooth with GPS, which will be relayed to the National Center for Security and Crisis Management. Movement will be restricted to 300 metres from home, a source told Jordanian media outlet Roya News.

Jordan’s strict policies since the start of the pandemic have included curfews and drones to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The kingdom has seen an uptick in cases — all from abroad — in recent days and has reported 1,169 cases and 10 deaths, according to the country’s Ministry of Health as of 8 July. They have conducted almost half a million tests.

Jordan is not the first country to trial bracelets. South Korea and Hong Kong employed low-tech wearables as early as March when much of the world went into lockdown to keep watch on those in quarantine. China, Singapore and Taiwan have also implemented tech solutions to limit the spread of Covid-19 to varying degrees of success.

By MPC Journal Team

Middle East Politics and Culture Journal is an independent platform that provides reports and news on political affairs, security and defence, counterterrorism, and culture in the Middle East and North Africa.