SELFIE ISOLATING
Coronavirus crackdowns that could come to UK if we don’t listen… from selfies to prove you’re home to cop drones
GOVERNMENTS around the world are taking unprecedented steps to enforce lockdowns and stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Police drones and selfies proving you're at home are just some of the measures Brits might face if we don't follow new lockdown rules announced by the government last night.
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The UK now has over 6,500 confirmed cases of the virus, which has spread around the world since breaking out in December.
Announcing new restrictions on movement last night, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "All over the world, we’re seeing the devastating impact of this invisible killer.
"From this evening, I must give the British people a very simple instruction.
"You must stay at home, because the critical thing we must do to stop the disease spreading between households."
He said people should only go outside to get food and medical supplies, to help a vulnerable person, to exercise, or to travel to work if absolutely necessary.
Even after the new announcement, the measure now in place in Britain are less drastic than others around the world.
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POLICE DRONES IN SPAIN
Police in Spain have deployed a fleet of drones with speakers tell people leave public areas and return home.
Footage showed the drones over the streets of Madrid relaying warnings from human officers over radio speakers.
The clip was posted to twitter by the Madrid Municipal Police and captioned in Spanish: “We will not hesitate to use all the means at our disposal to ensure your security and that of everyone, although some still make it difficult for us.”
The tactic was previously used in China, where drones scolded people for not wearing face masks outside as well as telling them to go home.
Spain now has 35,000 cases of the virus, the second-highest count in Europe, and is currently in a nationwide state of emergency.
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POLAND'S SELFIE APP
The Polish government has launched "Home Quarantine" app that requires some citizens to to regular selfies showing they are quarantining themselves at home.
The app uses a combination of geolocation and face recognition technologies.
It is meant for those who have entered a mandatory two-week isolation period after coming back to the country from abroad.
Reports say users must submit a photo within 20 minutes of receiving a request or face a home visit from the police.
Authorities say they have handed out fines equivalent to £101 to people found out of quarantine, and that penalties can go as high as £1,010.
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NO FLAT BATTERIES IN TAIWAN
One man in Taiwan went viral after about a visit he received from police after his phone ran out of battery.
Milo Hseih is an American student currently living in Taiwan under quarantine.
"My phone, which is satellite-tracked by the Taiwan gov to enforce quarantine, ran out of battery at 7:30 AM."
"By 8:15, four different units called me. By 8:20, the police were knocking at my door," he wrote.
He later told the BBC he had recently returned from time spent in Belgium, and that the level of precaution in Taiwan is far higher than it was there.
POLICE GUARD IN KENTUCKY
A man in has had a police guard posted outside his home because he refused to self-isolate after testing positive for the virus.
The man is reportedly a 53-year-old from Nelson County.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said: “It’s a step I hoped I’d never have to take.
"But we can’t allow one person who we know has the virus to refuse to protect their neighbours.
"We’ve got to make sure that people who have tested positive, that we know could be spreading the virus, and simply refuse to do the right thing, do the right thing."
The state is only able to forcibly quarantine citizens by triggering special powers by declaring a state of emergency.
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FOUR-LETTERED ANNOUNCEMENTS IN ITALY
Officials in Italy, the epicentre of the outbreak in Europe, have been releasing four-lettered public service announcements urging people to obey lockdowns.
In one address, Massimiliano Presciutti, mayor of the town of Gualdo Tadino, is seen saying: "Where the f**k are you going?
"You are queuing at the post office, you are withdrawing cash.
"You have to stay at home!"
In another, Gianfilippo Bancheri, mayor of the town of Delia, says: "Someone calls me to say: 'Mayor, my dog only eats the croquettes they sell in [nearby town] Caltanissetta.
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"Are you serious?"
Italy now has more than 60,000 cases and at least 6,077 deaths, more than any other country in the world.
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