THE aviation and airports sector of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will launch a contact tracing app in four airports on Wednesday, 28 October 2020.

Traze, a nationwide and unified QR code-based app, will be pilot-tested in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Clark International Airport (CRK), Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and Davao International Airport (DIA).

All departing and arriving passengers in the four airports will be required to download the app on their mobile phones and register an account before proceeding to the airport.

Passengers who do not have mobile phones or any other mobile gadget may go to the Malasakit Helpdesk at the airport for registration assistance to get a unique QR code or they may ask a family member to register them with the app. The QR code can be used at any DOTr office nationwide.

Other airports will follow. By November 28, all passengers in all airports nationwide will have to use Traze.

The app, which was co-developed by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and Cosmotech Philippines Inc., was pioneered by the PPA in ports in September.

Based on a directive by DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, Traze will eventually be used across all modes of transportation to strengthen the government’s effort in containing the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) epidemic in the country.

Traze has complete modules to trace individuals, establishments, logistics and transportation systems such as trains, vessels, airplanes, jeepneys, taxis, public utility vehicles and even tricycles, among others.

By using a QR code, Traze speeds up the tedious manual contact tracing process to just a few minutes.

Passengers will scan the QR codes at designated areas of the airport.

Once a coronavirus-positive patient is identified, an in-app notification will be sent to individuals who may have had contact with the patient so they may immediately observe self-isolation, and other health and sanitation precautionary measures.

Traze is compliant with Republic Act (RA) 1017 or the Data Privacy Act (DPA).

It allows anonymous registration and optional submission of personal information such as mobile phone and email address. It is easy to use and does not require bluetooth nor GPS to work. It will work even with slow data or WiFi.

Traze will automate contact tracing efforts of agencies under the DOTr’s aviation and airports sector, such as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Manila International Airports Authority, Civil Aeronautics Board, Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority. (SunStar Philippines from PR)