Friday, March 6, 2020

Big Brother Is Watching

Is there a lighter side to the coronavirus outbreak?  In South Korea, sort of:
"Health authorities and district offices across the country are sending 'safety guidance texts' from early morning to late at night, reminding people to wash their hands thoroughly and not to touch their faces with unwashed hands.
But for many people, the texts – while intended as a public health service – are fuelling social stigma and in some cases, leading to speculation over extra-marital affairs.
Much of the criticism centres on messages that trace the movements of people who have recently been diagnosed with the virus.
'A woman in her 60s has just tested positive,' reads a typical text, 'Click on the link for the places she visited before she was hospitalised,' it adds. Clicking on the link takes the user to the website of a district office that lists the places the patient had visited before testing positive.
This avalanche of information has included some embarrassing revelations."
I'm getting about five of these messages every day, which is a testament to how organized the response here has been.

Still, not the best time to be having an affair or visiting massage parlors.

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