Determined to curb the spread of Covid-19, authorities in the South Korean capital of Seoul have installed a series of glass-paneled bus shelters that scan the temperature of commuters and refuse entry to anyone detected to have a fever.
Ten solar-powered shelters have been set up along major bus routes in the Seongdong district of the city’s center, the district government said in a statement.
These so-called “smart shelters” have several features to stop people infected with the coronavirus from spreading it to others, including external thermal cameras and internal UV sterilizers. They also have air conditioning, free WiFi, charging stations and play therapeutic music.
While the virus does spread easier indoors than outdoors, summers in Seoul can be brutal. Jeong Mi-rang, a Seongdong district official, said authorities wanted to create “an environment where people can escape scorching weather and pouring rain while preventing virus infections.”
“It is ideal for people to avoid a closed small space in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic,” Jeong said. “However, it’s inevitable that we’ll have to live with it for a while so we need to find a way to live a better life coping with the current situation.”
The 10 shelters cost about $1.01 million – and the district plans to install more, Jeong said.
The South Korean government has waged one of the world’s most successful fights against Covid-19. To date, the country of more than 50 million people has confirmed fewer than 15,000 cases and 305 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s global tally.
Public health experts have praised South Korean’s significant investment in widespread testing and contact tracing, while also encouraging people to wear masks and practice good hygiene.
The country has also been quick to embrace innovative solutions to many of the problems brought on by the pandemic. The city of Goyang was one of the first places in the world to roll out drive-through coronavirus testing.