'Regulation is clear, information contained will only be used to fight COVID-19'

Designated judge Kate O’ Regan gives an update on how the government will use cell phone information to fight coronavirus.

The Government has issued a substantial rewrite of its controversial proposal to track people using their phones and other devices in the bid to contain COVID-19.

The new rules put basic transparency provisions in place, give oversight to a judge, and ensure that most data collected will be deleted within six weeks.

RELATED: SA government to track cellphones to fight COVID-19

Eusebius McKaiser chats to recently appointed the COVID-19 designated judge Kate O’ Regan on location surveillance in the fight against COVID-19.

As these are uncharted waters, policy makers are having to decide how to address the pandemic. The virus is still very new and our understanding of infections and treatment is uncertain at this stage and the government has measures to try and manage the pandemic.

Judge Kate O’ Regan, Designated COVID-19 judge

One of those measures has been to recognise that tracking and tracing people who tested positive and those who have been in contact with those people, is one of the ways in which we can contain the spread of the virus.

Judge Kate O’ Regan, Designated COVID-19 judge

The role of the designated judge relates to a power that has been given to the government in the new regulations to request cellphone service providers to provide information about the location of people who have tested positive, she says.

The real challenge with the pandemic is that if the number of people who are ill rises very sharply and quickly, we will run out of public health resources. The regulation is clear, the information that is contained will be confidential and may only be used for combating COVID-19.

Judge Kate O’ Regan, Designated COVID-19 judge

Listen below to the full conversation:

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