Poland launches app to track people in coronavirus quarantine

Poland launches app to track people in coronavirus quarantine
/ gov.pl
By bne IntelliNews March 24, 2020

Poland has launched an app to help police make sure people in quarantine because of a possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection do stay at home.

Poland has been stepping up measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which has so far infected 774 people in Poland, including nine fatal cases, as of the morning of March 24. Anyone returning from abroad must go into home quarantine for two weeks and are obliged to respond to police calls or download the app, Poland’s digital ministry said on its website. 

The Kwarantanna domowa (Home quarantine) app uses a mobile location service and facial recognition, and sends random requests to users to take selfies, to which users must respond in 20 minutes or the app notifies the police.

“You will need to take one or several such photos a day. We will send requests for them 'by surprise'. The idea is exactly the same as for unannounced visits by police officers,” said Minister of Digitisation Marek Zagorski in the statement. 

The ministry included a reminder to users to make sure their phones are charged and to check their SMSs. 

Poles breaking quarantine orders face fines of up to PLN30,000 (€6,540). That is almost six times the average gross wages in Poland in the fourth quarter of 2019.

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