Vietnamese free coronavirus contact tracing app Bluezone boasted for over 30 million downloads as of March.

The figure rose by 5.2 million since January 27 when the third wave of local infections broke out. 

Da Nang, the epicenter of Viet Nam’s second coronavirus wave took the lead among localities nationwide with 42.31% of local population installing the app (47,937 downloads). 

Hai Duong Province, the largest hotspot of the country’s third local transmissions, came second with 38.08% of population or 649,362 downloads, followed by Ha Noi (35.89%), Quang Ninh (34.44%), and HCMC (30.58%).

Bluezone, developed by technology firm Bkav and the Ministry of Information and Communications, is a Bluetooth-based app that helps determine if a person has come into contact with a Covid-19 patient.

The ministry targets to have 45 million active Bluezone subscribers out of the country’s 76.8 million smartphone users. 

So far, Viet Nam documented 2,472 COVID-19 patients, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Of the above figure, 869 cases have been recorded in 13 cities and provinces since January 27, Hai Duong (684), Quang Ninh (61), Gia Lai (27), Ha Noi (34), Bac Ninh (five), Bac Giang (two), Ho Chi Minh City (36), Hoa Binh (two), Ha Giang (one), Dien Bien (three), Binh Duong (six), Hai Phong (four), and Hung Yen (three). 

To date, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Binh Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Gia Lai, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City have gone 16 days without a locally-infected cases.