The Health Ministry of Japan intends to introduce a smartphone app allowing to trace contacts of people infected with the new coronavirus, media reported on Saturday
TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th June, 2020) The Health Ministry of Japan intends to introduce a smartphone app allowing to trace contacts of people infected with the new coronavirus, media reported on Saturday.
According to Japanese NHK broadcaster, smartphones with the app installed can detect each other if users spend 15 minutes within a radius of one meter (3 feet) from one another. If COVID-19 is later detected in one of the users and they submit this information into the app, other users will be notified about it if they were in close contact with that person over the past 14 days.
The media stated that all user accounts would be anonymous and privacy would be respected.
The daily increment in new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo remains above 20 for the third consecutive day, while in the whole country, a total of 45 new infections were detected in the past 24 hours, the broadcaster stated. Overall, there are 18,166 COVID-19 cases and 927 related fatalities. A total of 15,580 people fully recovered from the disease.
Meanwhile, Japanese car manufacturers were forced to suspend operations at their plants due to drop in sales over the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, Honda announced the suspension of two plants in Saitama Prefecture for four days and one day in July, respectively, and a plant in Mie Prefecture for three days, also in July. Mitsubishi has halted operations of its subsidiary in Gifu Prefecture from June 2-30, while a plant in Aichi Prefecture will not be working from June 2-15 and from June 23-30.
