Quarantined persons say no to COVA Punjab app

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 10

Despite efforts by the district administrations, city residents quarantined at homes are hesitating to install COVA Punjab mobile applications. Officials have also found that many of those who installed the app removed it later.

According to officials, people have doubts that the application might breach their privacy. There is a feature of ‘geo fencing’ of home quarantined persons in the application, using which the officials can trace quarantined person in case they violate the home quarantine rules.

MC Joint Commissioner Nitish Singla, who is the nodal officer for home quarantined, said: “There are more than 1,700 persons city residents who are in home quarantine. We have asked everyone to download the COVA Punjab in their phone. But a majority of them haven’t done it. The app is useful for both quarantined persons and the administration. Residents should voluntarily download it to get updates about Covid-19.”

The application aims to sensitise people and share with them protective and preventive measures to be adopted against Covid. The application also informs citizens of government advisories and notifications related to the coronavirus.

Recently, several new features have been added to the app. These include audio-video awareness, search of foreign-returned travellers, chat bot, reporting of mass gatherings, marking oneself as home quarantined and geo-fencing of home quarantined.