Authorities in China have been using every means they can to enforce strict rules on the use for face masks to restrict the movement of the Corona virus…
On Friday, the English-language version of the Global Times — a publication controlled by China’s ruling Communist Party — passed along some footage of the drone warnings after they were shared on China’s popular Weibo social network. In the viral video, residents of a village in Inner Mongolia are startled when they hear a disembodied voice from a hovering drone admonishing them for not wearing face masks outside.
“Yes, Auntie, this is the drone speaking to you — you shouldn’t walk about without wearing a mask,” the voice announces to an elderly woman.
In another segment, the drone warns a small boy, “The coronavirus is very serious — Run!” (He then does — away from the drone.)
Noted the Global Times report, “The innovative usage of drones has cheered up Chinese netizens who have not been able to indulge in outdoor entertainment events this [Lunar New Year Holiday] because of the coronavirus.”
Outside China, coverage of the footage indicated that the drones were all being operated by local officials, but that appears to be only partially the case. The Beijing News reports that two of the video segments were made by a local social media influencer (with 200,000 followers) who told them he hoped that he could help boost prevention practices during the coronavirus epidemic. In another segment, a traffic policewoman in the city of Shuyang in northern China uses a traffic drone to call out maskless pedestrians.
“Hey handsome guy, speaking on your mobile — where is your mask? Wear your mask!” she says to a man in a crosswalk.
Ten police officers are on the team that controls the drones, which can fly up to 50 metres above their surveillance targets. The drones can fly for a maximum of 30 minutes at a time and are equipped with an electronic sound broadcasting system, the report said.
One police officer, who was not identified, told the website the drones had detected traffic offences such as vehicles being driven without licence plates, motorists running red lights and driving in the wrong lanes, and scooter riders not wearing helmets.
Source: The Global Times