In its latest memorandum, the Government of India has made the use of the Aarogya Setu app compulsory for all central government employees. The memorandum says the use of the mobile application will help in breaking the chain of transmission of deadly Covid-19.
Aarogya Setu app to be mandatory
The Aarogya Setu app was developed by the National Informatics Centre that comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
The app provides all the needed details regarding the patients affected by the novel coronavirus infection in an area. It keeps the user informed if the person has crossed paths with someone who has tested positive through a Bluetooth and location-generated social graph.
According to the latest memorandum, the government has asked officials to stay off from the office works if categorised as high risk or moderate based on their recent contact with infected persons.
"The officers/staff are advised that in case the App shows a message that he/she has a 'moderate' or 'high risk', he/she should not come to office and self isolate for 14 days or till the status becomes 'safe' or 'low risk'", it said.
Order sent to all departments
"Before starting for office, they must review their status on Arogya Setu and commute only when the app shows safe or low risk," added the order released on Wednesday, April 29 stated.
The order has been sent to all departments, ministries, Cabinet Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office.
Similar precautionary instructions have been asked to be followed by other ministries and departments that have autonomous, statutory bodies and public sector undertakings working under them.
The app available in 11 languages can be easily downloaded from both Google Play (for Android phones) and Apple App Store (for ioS).
In case the user is identified with related symptoms of Covid-19 after answering the questions in the app, the government will take timely steps and initiate the isolation procedure, with respect to the information sent by the app to a government server.
Meanwhile, the Army personnel have been cautioned about the app and are asked to download the application only from MyGov.in or Android and IOS play store.
Sources have stated that a malicious application with the name of "ArogyaSetu.apk" has been allegedly designed that can be sent to Indian defence personnel through Whatsapp from the United Kingdom (UK).
