- Title: Drones, time-slots give Albania's virus lockdown a hi-tech edge
- Date: 16th April 2020
- Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (APRIL 15, 2020) (REUTERS) MAN STOPPED BY POLICE DURING LOCKDOWN (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) 23-YEAR-OLD POLICE OFFICER, KATARINA MUNGULI, SAYING: "As a result of the situation that we are in (COVID-19 pandemic), we have decided to use technology as it helps us greatly in identifying persons who violate the quarantine. It had great results." DRONE ON GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) 23-YEAR-OLD POLICE OFFICER, KATARINA MUNGULI, SAYING: "We are using a DJI Mavic Enterprise, which is very efficient and can film people even at night as it is equipped with a thermal camera. It has a loudspeaker and night lighting." DRONE TAKING OFF DRONE PLAYING AUDIO ANNOUNCEMENT / MUNGULI CONTROLLING DRONE IN BACKGROUND
- Embargoed: 30th April 2020 13:46
- Keywords: Albania COVID-19 Tirana coronavirus lockdown police policing public health measures public safety surveillance
- Location: TIRANA, ALBANIA
- City: TIRANA, ALBANIA
- Country: Albania
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA005C9QRLMH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Buzzing overhead, a police drone warns shoppers in Tirana that curfew is approaching and they need to go home, having run checks through the day to make sure no one runs past their allotted 90-minute windows for outside activities.
Albania has taken a hi-tech approach to monitoring a coronavirus lockdown in place since March 15, co-opting drones that were previously used to detect cannabis fields and speeding cars.
Police officer Katerina Monguli, 23, said the technology had provided the police with "great results" in identifying people who broke quarantine. There are around 20 such drones being deployed in Tirana.
The drone, which is equipped with a loudspeaker and thermal camera, instructed people queuing outside a bank to stand further apart, and told a pedestrian to wait for a police patrol to check his status.
All residents, barring exempt categories such as truck drivers, are entitled to daily 90-minute windows for visiting shops, banks and pharmacies, and must apply for them online. This period is monitored via a government database.
Marketing manager Taulant Nukaj said the time limit, which has to be applied for a day in advance, was stringent but that people had to play their part in reducing the spread of the virus.
So far, the impact of the virus in Albania has been comparatively mild, with 518 confirmed cases and 26 deaths, and only a small minority of its 2.8 million population have been caught breaking the rules.
Police have suspended around 1,800 driving licences and fined some 7,000 people 10,000 leke ($87) each for missing their time-slots, a police spokesman said.
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