Goa govt launches 'COVID-Locator' app to track people under home quarantine

In its bid to mitigate the outbreak of Coronavirus, the Goa Government on Sunday launched the 'COVID-Locator' app, a GPS based location tracker that will help the government in tracking those who have been home quarantined. With the help of this app, suspected and asymptomatic carriers of the deadly virus would be tracked when they leave their quarantine zones. This initiative was taken to contain the further spread of COVID-19 in the state.

"To further safeguard our citizens, we are introducing 'COVID-Locator' to track home quarantined patients," the official statement stated.

The Goa Health Ministry had collaborated with Intugine to launch the GPS based location tracker. The app is available for download on Android's Playstore.

Meanwhile, 11 of 28 samples sent for coronavirus testing in the newly set up lab in Goa Medical College and Hospital have returned negative while the results of the rest are awaited, said state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday. The state has six COVID-19 patients as on Friday, all of whom are admitted in the designated facility for the infection in south Goa.

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Coronavirus crisis in India

As of date, 3577 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 274 have been discharged and Maharashtra reported the highest at 690. 83 deaths have been reported to date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries. The Prime Minister has issued a 21-day countrywide lockdown starting from 23 March to April 14 and the Finance Minister has announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore package under the 'PM Gareeb Kalyan Scheme'.

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Meanwhile, The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) made it clear on Sunday that the novel coronavirus is not airborne. Addressing a press briefing, Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar- the head of epidemiology and communicable diseases, ICMR stressed the need to adopt an evidence-based approach. For instance, he cited that if the virus was indeed airborne, all family members of a COVID-19 patient would have contracted the novel coronavirus, which was not the case.

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(With Inputs from ANI)