Rly ministry asks 13 lakh employees, their families to download Arogya Setu app

The Indian Railways has asked its 13 lakh employees and their family members to download the health ministry's coronavirus tracking app Arogya Setu.

The mobile app, launched by the Union health ministry on April 2, helps users identify whether they are at a risk of COVID-19 infection. It is developed by the National Informatics Centre, a part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Railways said the app could prove to be a "game changer" in India's fight against coronavirus.

It has asked its employees, pensioners, contractors and families to install the app. It is available on both Android as well as iOS devices.

In just three days since its launch, Aarogya Setu has managed to have over 5 million downloads on the Google Play Store alone. The app is available in 11 languages.

The key objective behind the app is to notify users if they come in contact with any COVID-19 positive person at any given point and whether there are chances to get infected. It also provides tips to protect from coronavirus.

The app uses phone location and Bluetooth sensors to detect user's movements. It also provides precautionary measures they can use to stay safe.