Health authorities are implementing a newly developed phone application from Saturday for 30-thousand people placed into self-quarantine amid the coronavirus outbreak.

In a regular briefing Saturday, the central disaster relief headquarters said that from 1 p.m., civil servants will begin to send out text messages. Clicking the URL contained in the text will activate the app.

A ministry official said that voluntary cooperation is essential and self-quarantine is a matter of trust. The official explained the app is by all means necessary to safeguard the health and safety of oneself, family members and neighbors. 

The government said those who break away from isolation can be fined under the Infectious Disease Prevention Act.

According to the the Interior and Safety Ministry, the number of people placed under self-quarantine in South Korea peaked on Tuesday at 34-thousand and declined since. As of Friday, the number stands at 32-thousand four-hundred.