With over 130 coronavirus cases reported fromAhmedabad so far, people here are using the new app to assesslocations of such patients.
The app started operating from Tuesday and garnerednearly six lakh views within a day.
"The aim is to help citizens know the exact locationof residential societies where coronavirus cases have beenfound, so that they do not venture there and stay safe,"Ahmedabad-based IT professional Abhay Jani told .
On the map, one can clearly view the locations of suchpatientsin areas like Kalupur, Memnagar, Ramdev Nagar,Ambawadi, Bapunagar, Bodakdev, Astodia, Jamalpur, he said.
"I have used the data of such patients being providedto citizens by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Using theGoogle My Maps feature, I have created a customised map ofcoronavirus cases in the city, and shared the link on socialmedia platforms for public access," said Jani, who isassociated with a tech start-up.
Jani said he has decided to update it on a daily basisusing details provided by the city civic body.
The application also provides helpline numbers tocontact government authorities if people come in contact withthe identified coronavirus patients.
On the move to make public details of COVID-19patients, Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra saidthis was being done "in larger public interest" and with aview to stop the spread of the disease.
This is being done so that "other people who couldhave potentially come in contact with them can voluntarilyinform the authorities and isolate themselves, and therebyavoid becoming unsuspecting carriers of the virus," the civicbody said in a recent order.
In order protect the coronavirus patients from socialdiscrimination after their names are made public, the civicbody has also decided to invoke IPC Section 188 (punishmentfor disobeying any order duly promulgated by a publicservant), and provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act. KAPDGK GK