By implementing measures to use technology to digitally track people who have been infected with COVID-19, countries in Asia have been able to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to the Harvard Business Review.
Here are five things to know:
1. Countries in Asia are actively using technology to collect data on the progression of COVID-19. Digital tracking technology is used to ensure people are following quarantine guidelines and following social distancing requirements.
2. To successfully deploy technology to track individuals, countries must have the needed technology, the digital infrastructure and seamless data sharing between government and business.
3. In Asia, countries mandated the people have the tracking apps and other tracking technologies. People in Hong Kong were warned that if they violated quarantine they could face up to six months in prison and a $3,200 fine, reports HBR. Quarantine measurers were monitored through an app paired with a wristband that uses geofencing technology.
4. Countries in Asia also had the scale, speed and degree of compulsion in its technocratic approach.
5. According to HBR, it's unlikely that Western nations will be able to emulate the same measurers. This is due to privacy concerns. However, the U.S. is considering the adoption of a contact-tracing app.