Coronavirus: AlHosn app helps UAE residents feel safe in the new normal, say officials

As restrictions are gradually eased in the country and people start getting back to routines outside their homes, the UAE's AlHosn app has been helping residents feel safe amid the new normal, officials and industry experts have said in a recent virtual roundtable. 
Dr Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson for the UAE health sector, explained that using the app boosts its users' confidence in safety measures as they return to the workplace and public places.
AlHosn UAE is the country's official Covid-19 testing and contact-tracing app. It helps limit the spread of the virus by locating and identifying people who either have Covid-19 or have been in contact with a patient. 
Dr Al Hosani said installing the app may not be mandatory for everyone but "the government considers downloading and using it as the civil duty of every individual".
"The UAE did not impose the use of Alhosn app on individuals and institutions due to the government's confidence in the high level of awareness within the population of this crucial matter, and its trust that there is a joint sense of responsibility shared by the various segments of our community, regardless of their nationalities or backgrounds," she said during the roundtable attended by senior representatives from the country's health, economic, real estate, retail, and logistics sectors.
The effectiveness of the application relies on how widely it is used within the population, she said, as a higher number of users improves the efficiency of the contact-tracing feature.
Industry representatives have agreed that the AlHosn app is essential as the UAE navigates the new normal. 
Talal Al Dhiyebi, chief executive officer of Aldar Properties, said: "As the momentum continues in the local economy, and many businesses gear toward returning to the workplace, Alhosn app provides an important enabler of enhancing people's trust in the possibility of a safe return while continuing to protect their families and colleagues."
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, group chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi Ports, said: "The fight against COVID-19 requires the cooperation of all community members, and a great responsibility lies upon all of us to support the government's efforts in overcoming this challenge."
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• Abu Dhabi