LG Uplus is set to provide a cell-phone position tracking service to help the Korean government locate the whereabouts of individuals suspected to have the MERS virus. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Jun. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — LG Uplus is set to provide a cell-phone position tracking service to help the Korean government locate the whereabouts of individuals suspected to have the MERS virus, as health authorities are determined to mobilize all measures to contact and manage individuals under suspicion.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on June 8, the ministry’s agency responsible for managing the MERS situation could not contact two individuals who had been under suspicion and turned out to test positive for the virus after being re-contacted by authorities.
A woman in her seventies, who started to be under governmental management on June 3, couldn’t be reached on June 5 and 6.
It turned out that she was in contact with more than 400 people at two hospitals while she couldn’t be located by health authorities.
The 400 people are now going to be isolated, adding pressure to tighten the government’s management resources.
Fortunately, another individual who couldn’t be reached had been staying where he was before communications were cut.
The telecommunications company said on June 8 that it would create a special team to support the government.
The company will also dispatch its workers to the ministry’s agency to create a hotline between the company and health authorities.
LG Uplus is also replacing meetings and workshops with emails and documents, and asking its workers to avoid having after work dinners.
By Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
