Far from the concerns and polemics in France about the application of tracing voluntary StopCovid, the moroccan authorities have launched on Monday a tool the same mobile that will enable it to go back up the contacts to combat the spread of the Covid-19. Dubbed "Wiqaytna" (our protection), this application uses Bluetooth technology, the communication system between electronic devices located in close proximity, with a purpose " voluntary ", according to the authorities. In concrete terms, how is it going ? The application sends a notification to the user in case of physical proximity extended with another user positive Covid-19 "and allows the department of Health to" make an assessment of the risk of exposure ", and then, if necessary, to enter into contact with the case notified, according to the same source.
Master the chain of infection
The Morocco, which has 35 million inhabitants, has increased testing in recent days, with approximately 208 366 tests, 7 819 cases officially detected and 205 deaths, according to the review published on Monday.
At the same time as the application, Morocco has launched a broad campaign for the mobilization of the citizens. © DR
The application Wiqaytna, which is based on a technology used in Singapore, has been validated by the national Commission on the protection of personal data (CNDP), an official body which has conditioned its use of multiple measures for the protection of private data. The project has been developed jointly by the ministry of Health and the ministry of the Interior, in collaboration with the development Agency digital (ADD) and the national Agency of telecommunications regulation (ANRT). Several businesses and schools have also worked – sometimes volunteer ◊ the project, like the OCP or the school of coding of Khouribga, 1337.
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elsewhere
Different countries have these past few weeks of tracking systems, with sometimes discussions very lively on their compatibility with individual liberties. In Singapore, the application government TraceTogether launched in mid-march was a modest success, with a low number of users (1.5 million people, barely a quarter of the population) and, therefore, limited effectiveness.
A study of the English university of Oxford, estimated in march that a minimum of 60 % of a population was required for this type of application is a real help to curb the epidemic. In India, Aargoya Setu, the application of tracing anti-Covid-19 launched by the government on 2 April, has been massively downloaded. More than 100 million people have downloaded it, is almost an Indian out of ten. This is the control program of health is the most important in the world. But the NGOS are speaking out for several months against privacy violations. They question in particular the collection opaque data via Bluetooth technologies and GPS. In fact, the application was up to president mandatory for employees in the public and private sector. The government was forced to back down and made it optional.
In Morocco, the strategy of authoritarian adopted to limit contagion – containment, mandatory, limited traveling, police checks, frequent – is gaining a pretty strong population, according to the official indicators. The use of the application is considered " a gesture citizen to contribute to the fight against the spread of the virus ", say the authorities. The extension of the containment mandatory to 10th June next, for a total duration of approximately 10 weeks, however, has given rise to reservations. In fact, many have started to return to a normal life these last few days.
Read also Covid-19 : the tunisian example
Adapt the application to the reality on the ground
On this plan, Tunisia has taken a couple of days ahead. The country has launched in mid-may, its application E7mi, available on Android and in the process of validation on iOS. This time, she has been developed free of charge by a start-up tunisian who usually creates the tools of digital marketing to foreign companies. Just as the French application StopCovid, E7mi is not based on the architecture proposed by Apple and Google.
The application of anti-Covid-19 launched by Tunisia. © DR
If a person who uses the application is tested positive, the Observatory of emerging diseases (ONME) will prevent other users having crossed the path of his phone, based on the information sent by the phone to a server. "We started from the month of march, when we heard of the application Tracetogether in Singapore, but we wanted to do something suited to Tunisia ", explains Akil Nagati, director of the start-up Wizz Labs.
Thus, the users will not be able to declare themselves sick, in order to avoid any fake alert and notifications received by a user has been in contact with a sick person will be followed up with a phone call ONME to be sure that there is a follow-up ", he adds. "We were faster than a lot of countries," says the young engineer. The application of tunisia has been approved by the ministry of Health after three weeks of testing.
" An awareness campaign will encourage people to install the application, but if it is seen that the rate of installation remains very low, we will consider a change of strategy ", has already warned Bassem Kchaou, in charge of digital within the ministry of Health. It could thus become mandatory to download the app before entering a large surface. The personal data, archived for 14 days under the control of the national authority of personal data protection, can only be viewed by the ONME for contacts of people who test positive to the new coronavirus, assure-t-on.
also Read Morocco : Containment", when you hold us again ! "
