Ormoc develops contact tracing tool

MANILA, Philippines — A contact tracing application that gives real time data on who may be exposed to a person infected with coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 and their location has been developed in Ormoc City.

Called SAFE Ormoc, the app is not only helpful in contact tracing but also gives the city government valuable data analytics as the city tries to reopen its economy.

Mayor Richard Gomez said he is proud of the locally developed app.

“This is what I love about Ormoc. We may be just a small city with fewer resources, but hindi tayo nagkukulang because the people are very cooperative and helpful... Everybody is always willing to share their resources and talents,” Gomez said.

“While others scoff and say that the best is always far away, in sophisticated urban settings, we in Ormoc have made it automatic to love local. We do not have to look to far to get things done,” Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez said.

SAFE Ormoc uses the quick response system and assigns a unique QR to every person who registers at safeormoc.today.

Test runs of the app show that data on the location of a resident and who were with him can be easily accessed.

Movement of a COVID-19 patient can be traced for 30 days. The local goverment unit can send messages to advise the  patient on what to do.

The app also provide data on the number of people who go around Ormoc City everyday and traffic in various establishments.

To ensure data protection, only city health officer Edmund Kierulf city police chief Col. Armel Gongona aside from Gomez can access the information.