The Research Council’s (TRC) Smart City Platform, a collaborative initiative between TRC, the Supreme Council of Planning, Muscat Municipality and Information Technology Authority, has announced the competition winners for the best application to monitor people infected with COVID-19.  

The competition aimed to combat the pandemic at a national level by providing an electronic app. Thirty applications were submitted. The first place and a prize of RO1,300 went to the application ‘Es-hah’ by Mazoon al Habsi, Rahma al Habsi and Muzna al Habsi. 

The app was created for faster epidemiological investigation, as a satellite tracking system for the user, and the data is only shared with the permission and approval of the user, to access a huge database that facilitates epidemiological investigation. The second place and a prize of RO800 went to  ‘Oman faces Corona’ by Muath Yousuf al Balushi. 

The app includes an introductory platform on COVID-19 and ways to prevent it. One of the prominent features of the app is its ability to search for available health services and suppliers within 20km from the  user’s location. The third place with a prize of RO400 went to an application by Louay al Habsi and Sulaiman al Rawhi.

 The app aims to assist authorities in following up and monitoring COVID-19 patients and those in home and institutional quarantine. The app also helps users to avoid those infected with the virus.