A total of 3,300 citizens downloaded COVTRACER application on their cell phones by Monday afternoon, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Kyriacos Kokkinos has told the Cyprus News Agency, adding that the number is expected to gradually rise within days.

He said that the number should be much higher at the moment, explaining however that new figures will be available in the afternoon.

COVTRACER application aims at stopping the covid19 pandemic with the fastest possible tracking of citizens who have come in contact with others who tested positive during the previous 14 days.

The Deputy Minister explained that the application allows the authorities to see all the places a person who has been diagnosed with covid19 visited the last two weeks. This allows the authorities to disinfect these places and even evacuate others and also to track down the contacts he/she might have had.

He explained that downloading the application is not compulsory and citizens give the information only if they want to. He said that a person who has tested positive can give access to this information, ie the places he/she has been to and whom he/she came in contact with only if he/she wants to do so.

Kokkinos said that the effectiveness of this application will be seen in practice. He explained that if information is shared then the intervention could be much more easier and prompt, thus assisting in reducing the further spread of the disease.

So far, only owners of Android cell phones can download the application but in a few days it is set to be available on IOS devices as well.