Tiruvallur’s Cobuddy app gets first distress message

Over 200 persons have downloaded the app

05/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Nearly 500 persons are under home quarantine in Tiruvallur.B. 

JOTHI RAMALINGAMB_JOTHI RAMALINGAM

The Tiruvallur police on Saturday received the first message seeking help on Cobuddy — the platform which includes a mobile app for tracking those quarantined with COVID-19.

In Tiruvallur district, over 500 people are under home quarantine and to track them, the Tiruvallur district police, with NotionTag Technologies, launched Cobuddy last week.

Using the platform, the government can track, communicate effectively and eventually coordinate delivery of essentials to the doorsteps of the quarantined persons. “More than 200 persons have downloaded the app. On Saturday, a person from Adyar, whose permanent address is in Tiruvallur, contacted us over the application and said he had throat pain. We referred him to a private hospital in Adyar and alerted the health officials,” said P. Aravindan, Superintendent of Police, Tiruvallur.

Mr. Aravindan has requested home quarantined persons in Tiruvallur district to install the application. “This will help them reach out to us and the doctors and police can help them during emergency,” he said.

The application has been aiding the police and health officials to track the quarantined persons. As facial recognition-based attendance is part of the application, the quarantined person cannot leave the phone at home and sneak out as random messages will be sent throughout the day asking him to click photograph as proof of attendance.