The Hamagen app tracks coronavirus infection chains using Bluetooth and GPS technologies, alerting users to possible exposure to infected individuals.
By Aryeh Savir, TPS
Israel on Monday unveiled an updated version of its Hamagen (Shield) application which was launched to track and cut Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection chains in the country, as the infection rate remained high.
The 2.0 version of the application is based on the use of Bluetooth and GPS technologies and alerts its users to possible exposure to a verified Corona patient and provides instructions on how to proceed.
The new version has additional capabilities for locating and accurately marking overlapping points between app users and verified Corona patients while using advanced technologies and improving the user experience.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein celebrated the updated app as “a small step for the citizen, a big step for the state.”
“There is great importance to a massive download of the app. Every citizen who uses the widget will help maintain his health, the health of his relatives and the health of Israeli citizens,” he added.
Some 60% of Israel’s citizens need to download the app for it to be effective.
The launch was scheduled to take place at a press conference but following the Hezbollah attack on Israel in the north the press conference was canceled.
In the meantime, the infection rate in Israel remains very high.
The Ministry of Health updated Tuesday morning that it registered another 1,998 Corona patients in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of active patients in the country to 36,378.
315 patients are hospitalized in serious condition, of them 95 are on life support.
A total of 63,985 cases have been recorded on Israel since the outbreak, the majority of them in the past month.
27,133 of the patients have recovered while 474 have died.