Indian govt to launch CoWin-20 app to help curb spread of coronavirus: Report

CoWin-20 smartphone app is currently in beta testing for both Android and iOS platforms.

A railways official checks temperature of a railway worker in Prayagraj, India, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday announced a total lockdown of the country of 1.3 billion people to contain the new coronavirus outbreak. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP)

The Indian government is reportedly working on a smartphone app to help stop the spread of coronavirus. The app called "CoWin-20" is currently in beta testing and it will launch for both Android and iOS platforms.

According to a report by News18, CoWin-20 app will track users through their smartphone location to stop the community spread of coronavirus. The app will also record the user's travel history to determine if they're at risk of Covid-19 and people they may have come in contact with.

In addition to this, users will also get to know the location of coronavirus testing centres and quarantine sites in India. The CoWin-20 app will also host government advisories and information on coronavirus. Users will be alerted on all the latest coronavirus updates issued by the Indian government.

The Android and iOS versions of CoWin-20 are being developed. As for the launch of the app, it is said to take place in a few days. At present, the APK version of CoWin-20 is available but it is being distributed to only select people. The report also adds that iOS users can download the app by sharing their device UDIDs with the National Informatics Centre.

This would be the first smartphone app developed to help curb the coronavirus outbreak in India. The Indian government recently rolled out the 'MyGov Corona' help desk chatbot on WhatsApp for queries related to Covid-19. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is also available on WhatsApp with regular updates on the coronavirus.