- Title: Violating social distancing in Ecuador? Big brother is watching
- Date: 30th June 2020
- Summary: OFFICER SHOWING OFF EQUIPMENT
- Embargoed: 14th July 2020 19:12
- Keywords: COVID-19 Ecuador Quito coronavirus security cameras social distancing
- Location: QUITO, ECUADOR
- City: QUITO, ECUADOR
- Country: Ecuador
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA002CKKCRWN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART QUALITY AS INCOMING
Ready for the new era of Big Brother? Cameras using artificial intelligence have been installed on the streets of Quito, Ecuador to check if people are social distancing.
Ecuador has been one of Latin America's worst hit countries for coronavirus. As of Tuesday (June 30), the country has confirmed over 55,000 cases and more than 4,500 deaths. There are also reports of outbreaks in downtown Quito.
Officials hope this technology will help stem the tide of new cases.
These smart cameras are able to track the distance between citizens out on the street. An audio alert is then issued that warns citizens that their health is at risk if they don't practise social distancing.
The Inter-American Development Bank is backing this smart camera initiative across the region, and Ecuador is the first to put it into practice.
(Production: Cristina Munoz, Paul Vieira) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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