Government Launches 'Corona Kavach' App, Alerts User On New Patient

Written by Diksha Kapoor | March 28th 2020 05:59 PM | Updated: March 28th 2020 05:59 PM

The Government of India has launched a coronavirus risk-tracking app called ‘Corona Kavach.’ Jointly developed by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the app uses a person’s location to show them whether they are in the high risk geographical zone or not.

Currently the app is in Beta version, but it is one useful resource that the government is trying to bring to and for the people of the nation.

The app makes users sign in using their phone number and uses the GPS to track their movement. While that could raise privacy concerns among the users, the app description suggests that the identity of a user will not be disclosed to anyone, including the government, the server or any third party client.

The app uses colour codes to figure out whether the user has come in contact with a COVID-19 carrier or not. While one colour will identify a user who has never come in contact with an infected person, another will indicate if a user is in close proximity.

The app’s description reads: “This app is being developed in public interest to give information and capture the outbreak of Coronavirus. The data will be used to conduct analysis and provide information about the active COVID 19 cases in India. Additional features are also added to track your breathing capacity and a survey form to keep a self check.”