Abu Dhabi: Saudi contact tracing application Tabaud has received 15,000 reports from people who tested positive for COVID-19, authorities said on Twitter.
“Some 15,000 people, who were infected with COVID-19, felt their responsibilities, and reported their infection through the app,” the App administrators said.
They added: “In order to learn the greatness of what they did, imagine ... how many lives they have saved?!”
The @TabaudApp Twitter account broadcast an educational clip stressing the importance of downloading the application and its role in preventing infection amid this pandemic.
In June, Saudi Arabia had introduced its coronavirus social distancing app “Tabaud” to help notify people if they came into contact with an individual infected with COVID-19.
It was first introduced for iOS phones on the Apple store, then for Android phones on the Google Play store.
Saudi Arabia says the app helped the Kingdom rank third globally in employing technology to contain the spread of coronavirus, according to state news agency SPA.
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SADIA) said the app “sends camouflaged identifiers data to the smart phones using the same application, which were registered during the contact with people infected with coronavirus, accompanied by the data of the infected people devices, in accordance with the policies that the two international companies (Google and Apple) maintained, while maintaining the full privacy of users.”
The app uses Bluetooth technologies to detect other nearby devices which have the application installed on it.
It also can detect how close it is to another smart phone that has the same application installed on it.
If an app user is confirmed by the Ministry of Health to be infected with coronavirus, then users of all the phones who were close to him/her during the 14-day period prior to confirming the infection will receive a notification to take the necessary precautions.
What to do when you receive an app notification?
If “Tabaud” notifies you that you were close to a coronavirus-infected individual: You will be directed to complete the required details such as ID number, phone number, date of birth, and health questionnaire. The information will be sent to the Ministry of Health for action.
Will the app force you to share your information if you test positive for coronavirus?
No, “Tabaud” gives you the option to share the diagnosis or not.
How does the app protect my privacy?
“Tabaud” does not require your identity or the people with whom you had contact with and does not require your location.
Do I need to register to use the app?
No, “Tabaud” does not require login or user identification. It only requires completing a health questionnaire during first use.
It also does not require an “Absher” account, a Saudi Ministry of Interior’s service delivery application, and is available for everyone in Saudi Arabia including, children, domestic workers and other workers.
