US Issues “Do Not Go” Travel Warning As China Stalks Citizens With Drones Due to Coronavirus
Jose Nino
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The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory on January 31, 2020 warning Americans to not travel to China due to the coronavirus spreading across the East Asian country.
This virus was first identified in Wuhan, China.
On January 30, the World Health Organization declared that this viral outbreak is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Travelers should expect travel restrictions from the government, while commercial carriers are reducing or suspending routes to and from China.
Americans currently in China were advised to consider departing via commercial means. The State Department requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel not travel to China in the midst of this coronavirus outbreak.
In order to contain the coronavirus, Chinese officials have suspended, air, rail, and road travel in the vicinity of Wuhan and imposed restrictions on travel and other activities across the country. On January 23, 2020 the State Department ordered all non-emergency U.S. personnel and their family members to leave Wuhan.
In the meantime, China has taken advantage of this situation to roll out its fancy surveillance tech.
The Global Times tweeted about China’s efforts to use drones across China to monitor the outbreak.
It posted, ”Walking around without a protective face mask? Well, you can’t avoid these sharp-tongued drones! Many village and cities in China are using drones equipped with speakers to patrol during the #coronavirus outbreak.”
Walking around without a protective face mask? Well, you can't avoid these sharp-tongued drones! Many village and cities in China are using drones equipped with speakers to patrol during the #coronavirus outbreak. pic.twitter.com/ILbLmlkL9R
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) January 31, 2020
The video the Global Times posted was of a drone instructing an elderly lady in the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia to go back to her home and get her protective face mask. The voice-operated drone told her that she should not be going outside without wearing a mask.
True to its authoritarian nature, China is exploiting this situation to demonstrate its authoritarian powers within its borders.
The Trump administration should act quickly to ensure that this virus does not spread, and he can do so by restricting travel to and from China.
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