A newly arrived passenger wears protective gear and a face mask as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus, while using a phone in the arrivals hall of Hong Kong’s international airport on March 24, 2020. (ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

HONG KONG – A mobile application that calculates infection risk from COVID-19 by informing places visited by confirmed patients is expected to be rolled out in September, Secretary for Innovation and Technology Alfred Sit Wing-hang said Sunday. 
 

When people scan QR code of venues, their tracks will be recorded in the application. If users are confirmed to have contracted the infection, the application will show the places they have visited and their visiting time, and alert other users who have visited the places around that time, according to media reports. 

ALSO READ: Around 220,000 sign up for universal COVID-19 test 

Sit told reporters that the system will reduce people’s reliance on traditional, human-powered contact tracing efforts and help residents assess their infection risks more effectively. 

He emphasized that it’s a voluntary plan and residents can decide whether or not to use the application when it’s rolled out. He however didn’t say how to protect users’ privacy during the press meet. 

READ MORE: Privacy protection, safety in universal testing guaranteed 

By Sunday noon, about 356,000 people have registered for the free universal COVID-19 testing scheme that will begin on Sept 1, according to the government.