30K download corpn’s corona app

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:08.04.2020

Within a week of its launch, Greater Chennai Corporation’s new mobile application to geo-tag fever cases in the city has registered 30,000 downloads.

Officials said around 50 fever or cases with similar symptoms are being registered on the app every day and the corporation is monitoring the health of 1 lakh people through the app.

The application, ‘GCC Corona Monitoring’, was launched last week by corporation commissioner G Prakash. It has been created by MP Azhagu Pandia Raja, a research fellow in the ministry of housing and urban affairs, and Greater Chennai Corporation.

Residents in the city can download the application, click a photograph of a pillar in their house and send it through the application if they have fever symptoms.

There will be an option -- ‘general fever symptoms’ -- in the application for use. The location will automatically get geo-tagged on a map at the civic body’s command and control centre.

In case the number of fever cases is high, a team of doctors will be sent to the location to check on the residents. “If it is serious or someone shows coronavirus symptoms, we can take immediate action,” Azhagu said. “This is part of our efforts to contain the spread of the disease,” he added.

Azhagu said resources can be properly channelized and allocated towards particular locations in the city through the data collected.

The application can also be used to alert the corporation about a particular shop where people crowd or a gym that has been opened in violation of the lockdown.

Citizens can send a photo and the geo tag will appear at the control centre, enabling the corporation to send flying squads to disperse the crowd or take action, Azhagu said.

Residents can tag their locations on the app