The government will use information technology (IT) and big data to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, mainly aiming to analyze anonymized location data gathered via smartphones.
The Yomiuri Shimbun similarly stated in an urgent proposal that information and communications technology be used at public health centers and other places.
According to the government's plan, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is considering using data analyzed by Yahoo Japan Corp., which operates a major search engine, to consider staffing doctors and establishing health consultation systems.
In detail, locations suspect of being an infection cluster will be estimated based on the contents of online information searches and location information provided by smartphones, at the consent of users that will be received via smartphone apps.
Such use of data is expected to be useful in post-disaster measures and evacuation efforts, too.
A contact-tracing app for smartphones was released by the government on June 19 as a measure to prevent the virus from spreading.
When an app user is infected, they are to report their infection via the app, which results in notifying others who had contact -- within 1 meter -- with the user in the past two weeks for 15 minutes or longer, without identifying the infected person.
When an infected user reports their infection via smartphone, detail is automatically recorded in the ministry's unified system to manage information on the infected and other matters, which can reduce the current burdens on public health centers.
The app is designed to consider user privacy, such as not using phone numbers. It is said that this type of app is not adequately effective unless at least 60% of the population participate. To have the app used by as many people as possible, it is essential for the system to be considerate of personal information. It is required that data obtained by the app is used only for a limited purpose and limited period of time, in addition to not identifying individuals.
Under the state of emergency that was declared by the government, numerical data on change in the population's movement within entertainment districts and around major stations started to grab public attention, too.
The figures compiled are based on data collected by communications companies and railway companies, and released by the Cabinet Secretariat on its website.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
