Israel offers electronic bracelet to avoid quarantine for people arriving in country

So far, the few passengers allowed to enter Israel they were automatically quarantined under military surveillance in what is called a “Corona hotel”. However, the Jewish state, which is slowly returning to normal life as part of its third non-containment since the start of the pandemic, has launched a pilot test to eliminate mandatory isolation days at government-designated sites.

At Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is testing the use of electronic bracelets for international travelers. The country, which has already launched a “green pass” for those vaccinated, plans to include this device, unless arrivals can demonstrate that they have received a vaccine or have suffered the coronavirus.

This remote monitoring system, although still in an experimental phase, surprised passengers who arrived in Israel and were “invited” to participate in the test.

The country is by far the world leader in per capita vaccination. It has already vaccinated half of its population and since the last week of February it has started to return to “normalcy”, with the opening of shops and stores, which explains the government’s desire to prevent entry. variants of the virus that could put it at risk. the vaccination plan and the immunity your population is starting to acquire.

Israeli data released, so far, puts the first developmental dose of Pfizer and BioNTech at 85% effectiveness two to four weeks after inoculation, and shows the vaccine to be over 95% effective two weeks after. the second injection.

A “simple” procedure

The Hebrew method of controlling the entrance to Sars-Cov-2 provides that a person who has been outside of Israel, upon arrival, must be directed to a hotel in quarantine, isolated and their state of health monitored.

However, for days Passengers can choose to return home as long as they accept this bracelet.

According to the European press of a person arriving from Brazil: “The procedure was very simple”

The mechanism consists of the issuance of the passport to register the data of the person and a credit card as a deposit guarantee for the device. Once this procedure is complete and a mobile application has been downloaded, quarantine can be carried out in a private house.

This very light, ergonomic and waterproof bracelet is accompanied by a secure smartphone and another device with a sticker that must be stuck to the wall. Each individual goes to his home and his address is identified with the phone which carries a GPS system. Once the sticker is stuck on a wall in the place indicated to the authorities, from this moment, the quarantine begins. As long as the bracelet is close to the sticker, no alert is sent to the system.

Legal debate

In Israel, arrivals had to present a first PCR test at the airport, and take a second 10 days later to be able to get out of the mandatory quarantine.

The electronic bracelet, combined with a smartphone app, does not change the isolation period, although it is not necessary to be confined in a hotel room. If people leave their homes, the police are immediately alerted.

This surveillance sparked a legal debate, to the point that justice has asked the authorities to limit the monitoring of people infected with Covid-19, the government having involved the internal security services.

The electronic bracelet that will be offered to people returning from abroad who wish to isolate themselves at home rather than in hotels from the coronavirus will not monitor anything unless the person complies with the quarantine, according to Ordan Trabelsi, chairman and CEO of SuperCom , in dialogue with “The Jerusalem Post”.

In addition, if a person decides to break the rules and leave the reported home, the device will not follow them beyond their home, Trabel said, after the Health Ministry and the Knesset agreed to launch a pilot test on the use of these devices. .

“Privacy is a valid concern, and I understand why people might ask,” he said. “However, there are a number of considerations. First of all, this is only one option: the government is not forcing anyone to use this technology. If anyone is scared, they can just stay at the hotel. “

But the lawsuit is also criticized for its running costs. This device, questioned by the Israelis, is costing the state dearly. According to the estimates of the Israeli press, this would entail a government expenditure of approximately 150 euros per day per person.

KEEP READING: