Govt. considers app to track COVID-19 patients, arriving passengers

Oct 30, 2020 News

As number of home isolated persons soars…

A government isolation area in Region Ten

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Health (MOH) is seeking to use tracking technology to effectively monitor incoming passengers and COVID-19 patients in Guyana.
This was confirmed by an official at the Ministry who was also addressing Guyana’s current battle with maintaining patients in home isolation.
Over 700 persons are in home isolation because of little space in government’s institutions.
It was stated that four applications are under review by the Ministry- however, a subsequent report with the names of the applications will be released over the next few days.
Once an application is selected, the implementation process will be swiftly rolled out by the ministry. The main purpose of the application will not only provide monitoring for the incoming passengers and COVID-19 patients, but it will also ensure that these persons do not mingle with the population by leaving their isolation space, putting more persons at risk for infection.
The source stated that the tracking technology being used is “geo-fencing”.
Geo-fencing uses GPS and Radio Frequency Identification technology to create a virtual geographic boundary.
With the application, once a person leaves their isolation area, the software would trigger an alarm or response that would notify the authorities, according to the source.
It was stressed that the application can be the main contributor to a decrease in Guyana’s COVID-19 cases since it would be able to put a stop to persons testing positive interacting with uninfected members of society.
For months, persons would have raised concerns about the government’s approach in monitoring persons who tested positive for the virus and were confined to government-approved home isolation.
Reports surfaced that persons were not staying in isolation and there was not an efficient monitoring system to ensure they stay at home.
Over the course of months, several persons would have also highlighted to Kaieteur News that they saw persons who were supposed to be in isolation visiting shops, engaging in social activities and putting other persons at risk.
Kaieteur News understands that the government’s monitoring system for isolation patients included check-ins from ministry personnel, who would call to ensure they are in their homes. The source stated that with over 700 persons in isolation currently, it was necessary for them to ramp up measures to ensure full compliance for their “stay at home” measures.
Health authorities were also responsible for calling repatriated passengers to ensure they were not experiencing symptoms and they remained in the one week quarantine they were confined to upon arrival.
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony recently acknowledged the shortcomings of the system, adding that the technology would help to assist in correcting the situation.
He also stated that it would help monitor asymptomatic COVID-19 patients who are not in institutional isolation.