HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City is piloting theuse of a mobile app developed by military-run telecom group Viettel tocontinuously monitor close contacts with COVID-19 patients, or F1 cases, whoare under home quarantine.

Mobile app VHD (Vietnam Health Declaration) will help HCMCity, the country’s current largest COVID-19 hotspot, to keep track of theself-quarantined, make sure they strictly observe rules set by the Ministry ofHealth (MoH) and get updates about their health conditions.

The app has been used by the MoH to monitor how individualsentering Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions observe quarantine rules on a trialbasis.

It uses a combination of GPS signals and facialrecognition technology to randomly check the whereabouts of individuals under homequarantine and if they break the rules and leave the house.

The home quarantined persons will be required to registertheir mobile number and a Face ID, along with the location of their houses. Theyare also required to make a health declaration three times a day andimmediately report their health conditions, via the app, if they have fever,cough or shortness of breath to receive support.

HCM City’s Department of Information andTelecommunications and Department of Health have worked together to assistViettel in organizing four virtual training sessions for medical staff in alldistricts and Thu Duc City.

The pilot project, which takes place from July 17 – 31,is running in at least one commune of each district and Thu Duc City before itis scaled up citywide./.