Bluezone

The Hanoitimes - More than 12 million downloads of Bluezone, the application on smartphones to trace those at risk of Covid-19 infection, as of August 8. Some 12 million people in Vietnam have downloaded Bluezone, a contact tracing app to help detect Covid-19 infections, as of August 8, compared to 1.8 million as of August 2, according to statistics from the Department of Computerization under the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC). The number of Bluezone downloads increased to 12 million as of August 8. Photo: Zing Hanoi, Danang, Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Lang Son, Bac Ninh, Quang Nam, Thua Thien Hue, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, and Binh Duong are leading localities in the country in terms of percentage of Bluezone users out of total mobile subscribers. The total number of Bluezone users in these localities reached 4.5 million. The top five localities, Hanoi, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City, have totaled 3.68 million Bluezone users. The MIC targeted to reach 50 million domestic users installing Bluezone by August 10. This is the minimum number for the app to be effective. The ministry will deploy many different solutions, including daily messaging, texting on mobile phone signals and voice tones for subscribers, who have not installed the application. Vietnam is facing a complicated disease situation after the first locally-infected case was detected in the beach city of Danang on July 25. Since then, the Covid-19 progression has particularly been complicated in Danang and neighboring Quang Nam province. The pandemic started spreading to other localities including major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with the big influx of tourists from the beach city. Many cases have complicated travel and contact history. Facing with the increasingly dangerous situation of the pandemic, the government gives the highest priority to controlling the contagion risk, as well as the accurate and timely updating …

[Read more...] about Hanoi among leading localities having users of contact tracing app Bluezone

The Chairman made the order at a meeting of permanent Government members on pandemic prevention and control work held in Hanoi on February 15, in response to complicated developments recorded in several localities nationwide. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 into the southern metropolis, city authorities will liaise with related agencies to check passengers at airports, bus stations and train stations and ask passengers to fill compulsory medical declarations. Speaking at the meeting, Chairman Phong said from February 5 to 10, the city detected 35 Covid-19 locally-transmitted cases including 9 employees in Tan Son Nhat Airport and 26 their close contacts. Mr. Phong said that according to initial assessment, most of Covid-19 cases had no key symptoms of Covid-19 and even many of them were negative quickly after a short time of treatment. Scientists announced that genome sequencing results have shown that Covid-19 outbreaks in Tan Son Nhat Airport are likely caused by variant A.23.1 originating from Rwanda not contagious B.1.1.7 found in the UK. A.23.1 has been detected in the U.S., UAE, Australia, the UK, and Denmark but the A.23.1 mutated coronavirus has not caused abnormal development in these above-mentioned nations. Therefore, the city health sector has implemented tracking and lockdown measures as well as disinfection at industrial parks, rental residential quarters and markets. Additionally, the city has increased testing campaigns following the Ministry of Health’s direction at high-risk places such as bus stations, traditional wholesale markets, and worker dormitories. From February 11 to 14, approximately 6,551 people underwent tests and 6,504 of them were negative for virus SARS-CoV-2 while 47 are waiting for test results. Ho Chi Minh City has ordered local entertainment facilities, including cinemas, massage parlors, bars, karaoke bars, discos, and beer clubs, to shut down …

[Read more...] about Returnees to HCMC must make health declaration

The Hanoitimes - The contact- tracing app, along with the remote health check-up platform, could be an ignition for the digital transformation process of the health sector, said PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Vietnam is not the first country to launch a contact-tracing app, but it solves all issues of other similar apps, said Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung. Overview of the meeting. Source: VGP. Bluezone, developed by Vietnam’s leading cyber security firm BKAV, was launched on April 18 at an event held by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC). The app uses the Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology to identify smartphone users who have come into close contact with Covid-19 patients. Among measures to contain the pandemic, tracing sources of transmission would come in handy to identify people thought to have caught Covid-19, as well as those they may have passed the disease on to. However, not everyone can remember exactly where and whom they have contacted with while limited resources also add to the trouble in tracing all contacts of each infection case. To solve this issue, smartphones with the Bluezone app can recognize each other within a two-meter distance and record the time and date of such contacts. Detailed explanation of how Bluezone works (in Vietnamese). Source: BKAV. Once a new infection is found, the health authorities would insert the data into the Bluezone system, which in turn sends data to other smartphones with Bluezone installed. If there is a risk of transmission, the app would send out a warning to users and instruct them to contact the authorities. BKAV’s CEO Nguyen Tu Quang said Bluezone operates on the basis of transparency, privacy and anonymous. All data is encrypted and stored on users’ smartphones, instead of the system, Quang stressed. Minister Hung said the app is a breakthrough technology in the fight against the pandemic, and ensures full …

[Read more...] about Vietnam launches first ever contact-tracing app to curb Covid-19