CORONA NI BIJI LAHER DARAMIYAN AATALU DHYAN RAKHO.

Tracking home quarantined people infected due to Corona virus using GPS & selfie

While the coronavirus pandemic and climate change are inherently different issues, they share two important characteristics: both are global crises that threaten the lives of millions of people. As of Today the number of coronavirus infections approaches 100,000 people worldwide & increasing in India very rapidly.

In continuation to initiative taken by the Maharashtra government to reduce exposure of COVID-19, Suspected should undergo home quarantine for few weeks. These home quarantined people are supposed to stay home / hospital. Unfortunately many of them are not following these guidelines.

To stop people doing this, we have developed technological solution (Android application & website) to monitor home quarantined people with GPS system from corporation office itself.

Alongside to tracking, we can generate different reports which you need to share with health officials every day.

Surat Municipal Corporation(SMC) has taken various initiatives to fight COVID-19.

A team of developers at the Information Technology (IT) department of SMC has developed SMC COVID-19 Tracker System which includes a web portal and mobile application named “SMC COVID-19 Tracker” to track people who have abroad or interstate travel history and persons who have come in direct contact with positive COVID-19 individual.

Details of travelers and other individuals are collected through various sources like Self Declaration form on SMC website, calls received on helpline number, international traveler information received from Government of India(GoI), etc.

The brief about the functioning of the application is given below:

1. SMC has published Self Declaration Form on website www.suratmunicipal.gov.in where individuals can submit their details including their abroad or interstate travel history and if they have come in contact with any positive COVID-19 individual. Upon submission of details, an SMC is sent to individuals with unique Traveller ID and are asked to download SMC COVID-19 Tracker Mobile Application.

2. SMC has also started a helpline number 1-800-123-800 where a citizen can share details about travelers or suspects. The details are verified by the SMC team including health officials. A field team visits the location and if the details provided on the helpline is verified, the individual is asked to stay in home quarantine and they are also assigned unique Traveller ID and are asked to download SMC COVID-19 Tracker Mobile.

3. Individuals have to fill questionnaire twice a day (Morning 10 AM and Evening 9 PM) through SMC COVID-19 Tracker App regarding their health. After due consultation of health officials, we have prepared three questions in the questionnaire viz., if a person has fever, cough or difficulty in breathing. With this questionnaire, individual has to also send their Selfie (Photo). If any individual mentions issue in questionnaire regarding their health, initial follow up is done over the phone and if required, individuals are asked to visit nearby health facility for necessary check-up and treatment.

4. After successful installation of app, individuals have to send  their location every hour to confirm that they are following home quarantine on regular basis. SMC team monitors the location history of individuals if any individual is found not following the home quarantine guidelines, strict actions are taken against such individuals.