A senior government minister refused to rule out Australians being forced to wear electronic ankle bracelets, even if they are fully vaccinated, to make sure they are complying with home quarantine orders.
The astounding suggestion was made by journalist David Speers during an interview with Employment Minister Stuart Robert about how authorities would ensure returning travelers stayed at home.
“What sort of ideas would there be for this? Regular visits, inspections to make sure they’re home, ankle bracelets, some sort of monitoring, how do you do it?” Speers asked.
“Mr Robert did not rule out those prospects,” reports NCA NewsWire.
“All of that will need to be worked through before a policy prescription goes live,” said Robert.
The minister also mentioned the authoritarian methods that were already in place to enforce the policy.
“The police would turn up at random times to our house, they would call. The Department of Health from various jurisdictions would call,” he stated.
The discussion surrounding how to enforce quarantine is taking place in anticipation of Australia, which has overseen one of the most draconian lockdowns in the developed world, opening up its borders once again.
Home quarantines will remain mandatory on return even for those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
However, this is not the first time that the idea of using electronic ankle bracelets, which are normally used to keep track of suspected criminals, has been raised in a major country.
Back in January, Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt called for the government to use GPS tracking technology to ensure Brits are complying with COVID quarantine measures.
“Daily contact with those asked to self-isolate – using GPS tracking to monitor compliance if necessary as happens in Taiwan and Poland,” said Hunt.
Article: Australia: Minister refuses to rule out electronic ankle bracelets to enforce home quarantine