The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Health has signed a contract for a web and mobile app which will provide a 24-hour monitoring service for those in self-isolation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was revealed by health consultant to the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, who noted that the app - called Hubbcat - will allow for health officials to track those in quarantine.

She added it was chosen out of seven digital technologies with similar features.

“From these seven prospects, the Hubbcat solution was selected,” she said during a press conference at the Ministry of Health on Friday.

“This web and mobile app is simple and easy to use. It is a 24 (hour)-monitoring service for all those in-home quarantine and isolation.

“It provides geo-fencing capabilities, which pre-programmed virtual boundaries around the properties or dwelling structures of those in quarantine and isolation (and) broadcasting alerts whenever there is a breach or violation of the virtual boundaries and real time tracking and recall.

Mindful of people’s right to privacy, she added: “Information collected from registered individuals remain anonymous. When an alert is signaled, the Ministry of Health and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force will visit the premises.

“The Hubcatt solution also provides the Ministry of Health with the ability to monitor those who fall ill while in quarantine and isolation without the threat of infecting families, communities and the public.”

Last month, health officials revealed that the self-isolation method they’ve prescribed to suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases was not working.

In an effort to ensure people remain in isolation, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced an app will be used to monitor people in quarantine.

He added those found in breach of the isolation rules could face a $20,000 fine or be imprisoned up to five years in prison, or both.

However, earlier this month, Dr Dahl-Regis noted that 12 people who were in quarantine could not be located by health officials.

Speaking at Friday’s press conference, she said. “At the present time, the Ministry of Health has on record a contact tracing success rate of 98.8% and a failure rate of 1.2%.

“With this Hubbcat solution, we plan to bring this failure rate down to zero.”

Not complying to the social distancing guidelines, she said, could result in a considerable increase of cases by the end of this month.

“This slide currently suggest that we may have a total of 125 cases by the end of May if we do not practice good physical distancing measures. (Therefore,) the Ministry of Health encourages all to adhere to the preventative guidelines.”

This also includes adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines as it relates to funerals, weddings and other events under the COVID-19 emergency order.

She said: “We have received reports that family members and friends not part of the invitation list have presented themselves to witness the ceremony.

“We want to encourage you to respect the physical distancing principle and respect the funeral invitations list (and) as for weddings, the same applies.”