Government
Why Asian Countries Have Succeeded in Flattening the Curve
To help flatten the curve in the Covid-19 outbreak, officials at all levels of government are asking people to stay home. Here's what’s worked, and what hasn't.
On March 25, Hong Kong closed its borders to non-residents to fend off a second wave of Covid-19 cases imported by foreign visitors. The territory has managed to contain the spread of the virus since its first case of coronavirus was identified on Jan. 23.
Now, at the airport, residents returning to Hong Kong are handed an electronic bracelet, and mandated to stay home for a 14-day quarantine. The bracelet is connected to a phone application, called StayHomeSafe that uses a technology known as “geofencing”: users walk around their homes to configure the device. Once calibrated, the system is able to detect if users leave the predefined zone.