A Bahraini app will now tell users when they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.
A total of 294,516 downloads have been recorded to date of the BeAware app.
“The app’s contact tracing feature sent push notifications and SMS messages to individuals who may have come into contact with active cases, requesting them to be tested for their own health and safety,” the Bahrain News Agency reported.
The app was launched by Bahrain’s information & eGovernment Authority in line with its commitment to the orders of Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to deploy modern technology in combatting Covid-19.
The use of artificial intelligence is one of the solutions it hopes to use to bring down the country’s curve. Bahraini authorities say registration to the app is mandatory for those who have been placed in quarantine, while it has not been
The kingdom has been one of the best in the Middle East at containing the virus because of its quick reaction. It set up what has been described as “a war room” to co-ordinate the medical response with health professionals triaging pilgrims and other groups suspected to have contracted coronavirus, under control of the Crown Prince.
It has been holding regular televised press briefings and the state-run Bahrain News Agency published regular updates on cases, treatments and those who have recovered.
On April 4, Bahrain began requiring self-isolating citizens to wear electronic bracelets.
The bracelet will notify a monitoring station when they are 15 metres away from their phone, sending a warning to the wearer.
Bahrain has confirmed 1,671 cases of Covid-19 and seven deaths, while 663 people have recovered from the virus.
Cases have mounted across the Gulf in recent weeks, with over 18,000 cases of the virus reported in the six countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council.
