The newly-launched COVID Alert South Africa, a mobile phone application designed to trace people with coronavirus infections, will strengthen South Africa’s contact tracing efforts, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
The Ministry of Health has launched the Bluetooth-enabled mobile application to assist the country’s healthcare workers to trace COVID-19 cases wherever they are in the country.
The launch of the app proved South Africa’s significant and growing capacity for innovation in the medical field, the president said.
“I encourage every South African to download this app, which is an important, innovative and necessary part of protecting ourselves, our families, our co-workers and our communities.
“The more South Africans download the app, the more effective it will be in stopping a second wave of Covid-19 infection,” Ramaphosa said.
He however urged South Africans should to “still wear cloth masks, wash or sanitise our hands regularly, maintain social distancing and take all other precautions to keep safe.”
According to the president, global experience has demonstrated the risk of a resurgence of infections, or a second wave, once restrictions on social and economic activity are lifted.
This necessitated a vigilant tracing of all confirmed Covid-19 cases in order to stop the virus from spreading further, he said.
NM/jn/APA