In order to identify and quarantine foreign returnees, the Andhra Pradesh police have created an application, ‘House Quarantine App’, on Friday. The details of 7,000 persons who returned to the country from different places have been uploaded on the first day, said Director General of Police D. Gautam Sawang.
“We will collect the details of the remaining people who returned to India from different countries, and upload their names in the app. Their movements will be monitored by geo-tagging their details, and this is one of the main sources through which we can prevent spread of the disease,” Mr. Sawang said.
Police would collect the details through district dash boards and track the movements of the foreign returnees. “Under ‘virtual geo-fencing, if they cross 50 metres distance from their homes, police will get an alert and police teams will rush to the spot immediately,” the DGP explained.
The app was created by Anantapur DIG Kranthi Rana Tata and DIG (Law and Order, Coordination) S.V. Raja Shekar.
Instructions have been given to the Superintendents of Police (SPs) to send the particulars of all foreign returnees to the DGP’s Dash Board immediately.
27,000 returnees
Mr. Raja Shekar said the Bureau of Immigration has forwarded the details of about 27,000 people who returned to different districts in the State, to the respective district Collectors.
“The major source of coronavirus is foreign returnees, who are students, employees, tourists and pilgrims. All the foreign returnees should post their details in the ‘House Quarantine App’, and their movements will be tracked,” Mr. Sawang told The Hindu.
“The Grama Volunteers are on the job of tracing all foreign returnees, who are in ‘home isolation’ by making door-to-door surveys. Already, enrolment of returnees in the app has begun and 100% registrations will be completed by Saturday. If they violate the rules, they will be booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897,” the DGP warned.
