Israeli police use drones to check in on virus patients

Police officers prepare a drone to find residents who fail to comply with the stay-at-home order in Szolnok, Hungary, April 1. Other countries too have rapidly come to see the use of drones as crucial tools to prevent the spread of the coronavirus,.— Janos Meszaros/MTI/AP

JERUSALEM: The drone glides up toward a high-rise until it reaches an apartment window where a woman waves from inside, proving to police that she is self-isolating after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Israeli police are deploying drones as part of efforts to stem the outbreak, allowing officers to keep a safe distance from infected people. Israel has also approved the use of phone-spying technology that was previously used against Palestinian militants.