Despite repeated announcements to the public to stay at home, there are still a few bad seeds who refuse to listen and insist on going about with their normal routine.
As such, the authorities will be using drones nationwide to monitor public activity from the sky during the movement control order (MCO). These devices are meant to increase efficiency, especially in targeted areas.
“We are making full use of technology so that we can monitor the situation from the air, and this can also be a deterrent to those who remain stubborn,” Armed Forces Chief General Tan Sri Affendi Buang was quoted as saying during a press conference.
While he didn’t disclose the exact number of drones that will be used, Jen Affendi revealed that it’s a combination of government assets and units borrowed from local industries. “We don’t have enough assets to send them to the whole country. We will choose 12 hotspots in the country and send them to certain areas where people remain stubborn,” he added.
These aforementioned 12 areas will include Covid-19 red zones like Lembah Pantai and Titiwangsa. Authorities can then take immediate action if the “live” recordings from the drones reveal people gathering in large groups.
Jen Affendi went on to explain that the drones can operate between 40 minutes to an hour. “At a highly populated area, it would be good enough if the drone can cover a radius of 3-5km. The MCO must reach its objective so that we can prevent Covid-19 from spreading. The best thing is for everyone to stay at home,” he added.
“We need to do this (MCO) seriously to curb the spread of Covid-19. We need to react fast. We do not want what is happening in the European countries to happen here. Some countries there have broken down, nothing much can be done, hence, we need to act now and act hard,” Jen Affendi explained.
After all, the real enemy here is the coronavirus.
