Punjab govt promotes COVA app, adds features

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 19

A unique in-built feature of COVA app is helping people of the state to stay safe. The app allows users to know their distance from the nearest Covid positive person. It also alerts the district administration if any Covid suspect or a person undergoing quarantine moves beyond 100 metres from her/his base location.

While the app is helping the authorities enforce the lockdown restrictions, it is also enabling the people of the state to keep themselves, their family members and friends safe through a self-control mechanism.

By geotagging positive patients, the app helps the district administration trace locations which a Covid positive person has visited during the last few days. If people, who have the app installed on their phones, turn on Bluetooth in their devices, then they would get an alert as soon as they come near a Covid suspect or a Covid positive person. It would also help the Health Department and the district administration in tracing the contact history of positive patients.

For the app to be effective, Covid infected persons should also have GPS and Bluetooth turned on on their mobile phones, according to Vini Mahajan, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Governance Reforms and Public Grievances.

The app’s dashboard enables the district administration to track the quarantined individuals and monitor their movements when away from their base location. The mobile numbers can also be used by telecom providers to track their movement even if GPS or Bluetooth is disabled.

The telecom companies send hourly reports to the Health Department on breaches in each district.

The app has garnered more than 10 lakh downloads till now. It has enabled both citizens and government officials to execute the lockdown and social distancing norms and at the same time, it is ensuring that its users have access to all essential services.

Geotagging patients

• By geotagging Covid positive patients, the mobile app helps the district administration trace locations which a Covid positive person has visited in the last few days
• If people, who have the app installed on their phones, turn on bluetooth in their devices, they can get an alert as soon as they come near a Covid suspect or a Covid positive person