Health declaration apps to aid Vietnam’s coronavirus campaign

Two mobile apps will assist Vietnamese and foreigners complete health declarations to help contain the Covid-19 spread in the country.

Developed by the Ministry of Information and Communications along with the Ministry of Health in collaboration with domestic tech firms, « NCOVI » was designed for Vietnamese and « Vietnam Health Declaration » for foreigners entering Vietnam.

The two free apps are available on both the Google Play and Apple stores.

Authorities have suggested all Vietnamese download NCOVI, register their mobile numbers and ID information and confirm their state of health.

App users can update their health status on a daily basis. They can also report suspected cases of infection in their neighborhood.

Health authorities will collect such information to track down those to be monitored or quarantined to limit the spread of Covid-19.

For foreigners entering Vietnam, the « Vietnam Health Declaration » is recommended. It operates the same as NCOVI.

Via the two apps, authorities will provide updates on the situation in Vietnam alongside guidance on prevention.

Besides, Vietnamese and those entering the nation can fill out health declarations on https://tokhaiyte.vn.

Commenting on the launch of both apps, Deputy Prime Minsiter Vu Duc Dam, head of the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control, said he hopes they would allow timely interaction with medical authorities.

He insisted all personal information provided would be used only for purposes of protecting public health.

Vietnam last Friday demanded everyone arriving in Vietnam fill out health declaration forms.

Arrivals can choose to file the declaration in paper or electronic form, available in English, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Cambodia, Russian, Spanish, French and Thai.

Those with symptoms like coughing, fever, shortness of breath, and fatigue are required to be examined and quarantined.

Vietnam already required those arriving from mainland China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy, the worst-hit countries, to be quarantined for at least 14 days.

The nation recorded its 32nd case of infection on Tuesday. The patient is a 24-year-old woman who’d met Hanoi’s first Covid-19 infection in London.

It now has 16 active Covid-19 infections, including the latest.

Covid-19 has advanced to 115 countries and territories and claimed over 4,000 lives, with 3,000 fatalities in China, followed by Italy with 463 and Iran with 237.

By Viet Tuan – VnExpress.net – March 10, 2020