Privacy fears as India hand stamps, tracks suspected Covid-19 cases

Men wearing protective masks walk inside the premises of a hospital where a special ward has been set up for the coronavirus disease in Mumbai, India. In southern Kerala state, authorities have used telephone call records, CCTV footage, and mobile phone GPS systems to track down primary and secondary contacts of coronavirus patients. Officials also published detailed time and date maps of the movement of people who tested positive. — Reuters

MUMBAI/CHENNAI: People suspected of having the coronavirus in India have received hand stamps and are being tracked using their mobile phones and personal data to help enforce quarantines, raising concerns about privacy and mass surveillance.

The outbreak, termed Covid-19, has infected more than 234,000 people worldwide and killed nearly 10,000, according to a Reuters tally.