Aarogya Setu app downloaded in 9.8 cr smartphones
11 May, 2020 | newsx bureau
The government recommended Aarogya Setu app which helps in detecting coronavirus cases and keeps people update about the desease has been downloaded by 9.8 cr smartphones users.
Ajay Sawhney, chairman of Empowered Group-9, on Monday said that Aarogya Setu app has been downloaded in 9.8 crore smartphones so far.
“It will be available on Jio feature phones, maybe from tomorrow. We have worked a lot on data privacy of Arogya Setu users and made sure that user’s data is not compromised,” said Sawhney during a press briefing here.
He also informed that around 1.4 lakh Aarogya Setu app users have been alerted via Bluetooth contact tracing about the possible risk of infection due to proximity to infected patients.
“This will enable you to protect yourself and your family,” he added.
With an increase of 4,213 cases in the past 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 count reached 67,152 on Monday, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The number of active cases in the country rose to 44,029, while 20,916 patients have been cured and discharged and one has migrated, according to the Ministry.
The Aarogya Setu, COVID-19 contact-tracing app, is the safest application and was designed keeping privacy in mind, said Ajay Sawhney, chairman of Empowered Group-9, which has been given the responsibility for technology and data management for combating COVID-19 crisis.
“A lot of work was done over data privacy… Aarogya Setu app will continue to play a crucial role in India’s fight against COVID-19. The app has been developed in order to alert people before they come in contact with infected patients, it also enables self-assessment,” Sawhney said in a press conference here.
He said that the application was “designed keeping privacy in mind” and is the “safest app.”
Sawhney said that the movement history of positive patients is combined with the self-assessment data submitted by others, which enables to identify potential hotspot areas and take preventive action. Information on 697 such spots have been sent to states, he added.
“A unique anonymous randomised ID is generated for the device of a new user, only this ID is used, name of the user is not used by the app,” he further said.