For nearly two months, the majority of the United States has been practicing social distancing and self quarantine to help slow down the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), the pandemic that has been sweeping the globe since this past fall. Much like a common cold or the flu, there is no true cure for COVID-19. Doctors and nurses are dedicated to treating the symptoms so as to restore their patients to health. Scientists are working as fast as possible to develop a vaccine, but unfortunately it will be some time before one will be available. Right now the best thing to do is to continue isolating, if people are not coming in contact with others the spread of the disease will be slowed down enough to hopefully let medical experts get ahead of it. Or, as the term being thrown about, to flatten the curve.

As the need for people to start venturing out of their homes for supplies and other necessary actions arise, the question as to how to continue flattening the curve also arises. In the town of Westport, CT officials are considering using new technologies to curb the spread of the coronavirus. As of the 2010 census, the community that is ranked as the 19th wealthiest in the US, had a population of 26,391. At only 52 miles northeast of Manhattan, many of it’s residents commute daily to the city for work, which has led to a high rate of COVID-19 cases within the town. As of Monday, April 19 Connecticut had confirmed 20,300 cases, 198 of those cases coming from Westport, resulting in 5 deaths. In response to these numbers Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe announced that the community would be proactively seeking ways to keep citizens healthy and safe. “We know that social distancing is working to flatten the curve and ultimately saving lives,” Marpe said. “In an effort to continue safeguarding the citizens of Westport during the COVID-19 outbreak, and as we position ourselves to gradually return to our routines, we should explore ways to prevent a possible resurgence of the virus.” These preventative measures include a drone that could monitor the health of the community.

Under the direction of the Westport Police Department, a drone could be used to remind people out and about to stay home safely. Using drones in this manner has become common practice over the past weeks as seen in China and Spain. The Westport Police Department has been using drones to keep citizens safe for some time now. However, the 64 full time members of the Westport Police Department have partnered with Draganfly Inc. to use a drone that could provide it’s operator with health information on individuals as it flies 190 ft in the air above them. In 2013, the drones made by the Canadian company were the first to be used to save a human life. Now they have developed a drone with a sensor and computer vision system that could identify fevers, heart rates, and whether people are coughing or sneezing.

As of now, the police department plans to use the drone strictly to gather data on those that might be sick. The drone does not use facial recognition software or store any personal information. It would not be used to monitor people within their own properties, but when they are in public spaces. As Marpe said, “One of the major problems for cities and towns like Westport in managing and responding to a pandemic like the COVID-19 virus, is finding out who could be infected and how widespread the disease has spread. One way to do this is to look for underlying symptoms. By teaming up with Draganfly…we are able to remotely look at valuable lifesaving data and better manage current and future health emergencies.”

Though there has yet to be reports on the public’s opinion of this drone program, David McGuire, executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut, quickly brought some concerns to light. “The COVID-19 virus is a grave public health risk, so we shouldn’t write off tools that might help mitigate the problem,” he said. “But we also must recognize that technology is no magic pill to stemming the pandemic. Towns and the state should be wary of self-interested, privacy-invading companies using COVID-19 as a chance to market their products and create future business opportunities.”

The Westport Police Department has been running a successful drone program since 2016 while maintaining strict civil liberty guidelines. They have never had any issues of encroaching citizen’s privacy, so it is most likely that this a practice they will continue to respect. That doesn’t mean that the drone developed by Dragonfly will be an effective tool in flattening the COVID-19 curve. If it is able to reliably collect biometric data it could help explain the path along which the virus spreads. But, it is up to people to stay home and safe, the only way to stop the virus from spreading.

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