Haryana govt uses Karnataka’s contact tracing app to fight COVID-19

Officials in Karnataka said they have shared the Contact Tracing App and Quarantine Watch app’s source code and trained their counterparts in Haryana.
Haryana govt uses Karnataka’s contact tracing app to fight COVID-19
Haryana govt uses Karnataka’s contact tracing app to fight COVID-19

The Haryana government is using Karnataka government’s contact tracing software for its surveillance measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. Officials said Karnataka’s performance in the COVID-19 pandemic management is partially attributable to the efficiency of this robust pan-state tracing/ tracking system.

The knowledge transfer process had taken place in the last week of May.

“Haryana Government has taken Contact Tracing App and Quarantine Watch App of Karnataka State War Room. We have shared the source code and given full guidance, trained their tech group for use of these two mobile apps and web solutions at Haryana,” Munish Moudgil, In-charge State War Room, Karnataka, said.

Senior IAS officer Moudgil has been previously lauded for his efforts to employ digital means to bring in transparency and efficiency in governance including digitising land records in the state. 

He added, “This tracing systems were built in-house by the State War Room. Our development team has about 4-5 developers, 2-3 testers, 2 database persons. In addition, there are persons who work in the help desk to guide and support field activities.”

Officials said the need for such a system is important as contacts of an infected person and further their secondary contacts could be scattered all over Karnataka.

For example, Moudgil explained,  “A patient in Bengaluru may inform a person in Bidar whom he had contact with. Then Bidar team has to be immediately informed to follow up. This Bidar contact may tell another person whom he met and who is resident of Mangaluru. Then the  Mangaluru team has to follow up. Everyone of the contacts have to be traced and quarantined within a day.” 

He added, “With this unified system, a contact of a patient entered in Bengaluru, instantaneously flows to Contact Tracing app of Bidar team member if contact address is of Bidar. The local Bidar team goes immediately and hand stamps the contact and quarantines him.”

The system which is based on a mobile application is used by 3000-plus officials involved in the state for this contact tracing exercise.

He further said that district Bhoomi and Atalji Janasnehi Kendra (database of revenue departments) consultants are technically handholding the field teams spread across the state. The entire operation is overlooked by four KAS (Karnataka Administrative Service) officers in the state.

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