South Africa sets up COVID-19 tracing system
The Government of South Africa has published regulations to establish an electronic COVID-19 tracking and tracing system. The system will have a database where anyone tested for COVID-19 will have their identity details registered. In partnership with mobile phone operators, the government will track movements of registered patients and also study potential spread of the virus. Following protest on the potential overreach of the regulations on privacy from human rights advocates, the government has revised the regulations and incorporated safeguards for protection of the privacy of patients. These include judicial oversight, notification for patients under surveillance and sunset clauses to ensure that the system is retired once the Coronavirus pandemic is over.
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