India has mandated that all public and private-sector employees use a government-backed Bluetooth tracing app and maintain social distancing in offices as New Delhi begins easing some of its lockdown measures in lower-risk areas.

As part of its efforts to fight the deadly virus, India last month launched the app Aarogya Setu — meaning Health Bridge — a Bluetooth and GPS-based system developed by the country's National Informatics Centre.

The app alerts users who may have come in contact with people later found to be positive for COVID-19 or deemed to be at high risk.

According to Johns Hopkins University data, India has 37,257 cases and 1,223 deaths from the virus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Government on Friday said India would extend its nationwide control measures for another two weeks from Monday to battle the spread of the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 illness.

However, "considerable relaxations" will be allowed in lower-risk districts.

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It will be the responsibility of the heads of companies and organisations "to ensure 100 per cent coverage of this app among the employees," the ministry said.

Last week, Australia released its coronavirus tracing app, dubbed COVIDSafe. The app, which has been downloaded by 4 million people, has also raised some privacy concerns.

But Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged Australians to use the app, especially as the country looks at easing some restrictions.

Aarogya Setu downloaded 50 million times, but needs more to be fully effective

Officials at India's technology ministry and a lawyer who framed the privacy policy for Aarogya Setu told Reuters the app needed to be on at least 200 million phones for it to be effective in the country of 1.3 billion people.

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The app has been downloaded around 50 million times on Android phones, which dominate India's smartphone user base of 500 million, according to Google Play Store data.

The app's compulsory use is raising concerns among privacy advocates, who say it is unclear how the data will be used and who stress that India lacks privacy laws to govern the app.

But New Delhi has said the app would not infringe on privacy as all data is collected anonymously.

The app can help authorities identify virus hotspots and better target health efforts, the tech ministry told Reuters in late April, adding that information on the app is used "only for administering necessary medical interventions".

India has one of the strictest restrictions in the world, with the largest number of people in lockdown

On Friday, the Government said that offices re-opening will also have to implement measures like gaps between shifts and staggered lunch breaks to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Reuters

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