With COVID-19 showing no signs of slowing its spread across the globe and the vaccine still months away, the government came up with a contact tracing mobile app, “Druk Trace”.
It was launched today.
The app will be used for tracing the contacts by helping with the identification of people who may have come in direct contact with a COVID-19 infected person while visiting public places or while using public transportation.
Contact tracing manually, one of the most important steps in containing the spread of the virus, takes too much time and too many manpower. Although Bhutan is with just 5 imported cases of COVID-19 and without any local transmission, the government came up with this app to provide a rapid health care response in case of local transmission.
Druk Trace now assures to speed up the process of tracking every contact digitally from each COVID-19 diagnosis.
Garab Dorji, the Chief ICT officer at the Ministry of Health says the app will come into play if in case there are local transmissions of COVID-19. ” We have to know where the infected person went and know his contacts who are at risk and it would be difficult for health officials and the government. Currently, in every public transports and taxi, they keep the record of their passengers in a book but we don’t have any measures in offices and shops. So to reduce the risk and to easily trace the contacts, we developed the app,” he said.
The app is available on the Health Ministry’s website, cabinet website and government portal. Once the user installs the app, and register with the mobile number and name, the user can scan QR code displayed at the public places and transport services.
For places, offices and drivers, they need to register and generate QR code which should be displayed at the entrance ensuring visitors to scan the QR code using Druk Trace app.
“The drivers can print and paste the QR code which is of the passport size on the car. As and when passengers come, they can scan and the work is done. If they think they can’t print and it is expensive they can generate the QR code and keep it in their phone. So they can show the code to passenger riding the bus or taxi,” he added.
However, for those without smartphones, they will be required to provide contact information manually. According to the Ministry, the app will be available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store in a few days.
Sangay Chezom
