Coronavirus: New app to help track Covid-19 cases in UAE

The app will help authorities with contact tracing

Empty roads in Dubai Marina in mid-April. 24 hour restrictions on leaving home which were in place since March were eased for Ramadan, allowing people to leave home from 6am to 10pm. Pawan Singh / The National

A pedestrian wearing a mask crosses the main street on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

A police barrier stands in front of Atlantis Hotel, one of the largest hotels in the country. Pawan Singh / The National

The tunnel underneath the palm is usually packed with traffic on a Friday. Pawan Singh / The National

A solitary shopper walks past the yachts quay at Dubai Marina. Pawan Singh / The National

A resident looks out from his apartment building in Dubai Marina. Pawan Singh / The National

A security guard takes the body temperature of a delivery driver in the Al Furjan suburb. Pawan Singh / The National

Talabat delivery drivers, who have permission to operate at all times of day, collect their orders in Dubai Marina. Pawan Singh / The National

A sign in Fujairah urges people to 'stay home' as people do their shopping. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A Dubai Police officer stops the vehicles and checks for permit to leave home near Dubai's Madinat Jumeirah. Pawan Singh / The National

A man has his body temperature reading taken upon arriving at the police station of Naif in Dubai. AFP

The closed open air gym at Skydive Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

Dibba Al Hisn’s seafood market. Reem Mohammed / The National

A sign warns people to stay home along the Dubai Marina. Antonie Robertson / The National

Health authorities in Abu Dhabi have developed an app that will help them identify anyone who may have come into contact with somebody who tested positive for Covid-19.

The app, called TraceCovid, uses Bluetooth to pick up signals from nearby mobile phones that also have the app installed. Should someone test positive for the virus, this data can be used to find out who came into contact with them.

Once identified, through a process called contact tracing, those people will be asked to self-isolate for two weeks and, if they develop symptoms of the coronavirus, must visit a medical centre for a test.

On Sunday, the Department of Health Abu Dhabi invited members of the public to download the app to help authorities track potential infections. The more people who download the app, the more easily authorities can find people who have been exposed to the virus and treat them – preventing it from spreading further.

"In light of the current uncertain situation, we are keen to bolster our advanced technologies to maintain the health of members of the society rapidly and effectively. Through the new application, we will implement a proven tracking system to control the spread of infectious diseases worldwide," said Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed, chairman of the department.

"We encourage you all to download the application and contribute to maintaining the health and safety of the society and protecting yourselves, your families and all those around you."

The app is available for download on Android and Apple devices and only requires bluetooth to be switched on when the user leaves their home or comes into contact with others.

The app does not affect the use and efficiency of Bluetooth accessories but runs in the background to communicate with other users' devices that support the application. Privacy of personal information will be protected, the department said.

For more information, please visit the app's website.