Police to collect call detail records of COVID-19 patients for contact tracing: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday informed that state police is collecting the call details records (CDR) of COVID-19 patients for contact tracing to arrest the spread of viral disease.
Kerala police are using the contact-tracing strategy to determine how many people came in contact with the COVID-19 positive patients and whether these people are showing any symptoms of the disease.
Addressing a press meet, the Chief Minister rejected the concerns about this move intruding into the privacy of citizens and clarified that there will be no intrusion into the patient's privacy.
"The law enforcement agencies are allowed to collect this type of information. In Kerala too, CDRs are used to collect patient information for the sake of public health and safety. This is the most effective way to contact tracing and we have been using this method for a few months. The information thus collected will not be passed on to anyone else or used for any other purpose," he said.
The Chief Minister also informed that various technologies and scientific methods are being used by the police for contact tracing.
"Innovative methods for the prevention of COVID-19 are being devised under the leadership of the District Police Chiefs. The defence measures prepared by the Police Chiefs in different districts will be shared mutually and will be implemented after making necessary changes for adaption," he said.
Vijayan further informed that Janamaithri (people friendly) police officers will be given online behavioural training.
"Awareness campaigns against coronavirus were organised with the participation of the public under the leadership of senior officers. The assistance of women is being taken to ensure the safety of their family members," he added.
Janamaithri Suraksha Project is an initiative of Kerala police to maintain law and order by seeking the cooperation of the community and understanding their needs.
According to Kerala police's website, "Janamaithri Suraksha Project seeks the responsible participation of the citizens in crime prevention at the level of the local community, conserving the resources, both of the community and of the police, in fighting against crimes, which threaten the security of the community."