Zomato, Urban Company mandates the use of Aarogya Setu app for frontline workers

Gurugram-based foodtech unicorn Zomato has mandated that each of its delivery partners install and use the Aarogya Setu app.

A statement shared by Zomato added that the idea is to keep individuals and authorities informed if the delivery partners have crossed paths with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.

"We are also going to showcase that our delivery partners are using the Aarogya Setu app on the Zomato app so that our users feel confident in getting their essentials home delivered, and not step out. This is the first time we have mandated our delivery partners to do anything special. For what it's worth, we have never even mandated our delivery partners to wear the ubiquitous red t-shirt," said Deepinder Goyal, Co-founder and CEO, Zomato in an official blog.

ALSO READ

Coronavirus: Facebook working with 8 third-party fact-checkers to flag misinformation

Home services startup Urban Company too asked its frontline employees to install and use the Aarogya Setu App.

In a statement, Abhiraj Bhal, Co-founder of Urban Company, said,

"Urban Company has put in place a strict six step safety protocol for all services. These protocols include daily temporary checks, wearing masks and gloves, sanitization of tools & surfaces, use of single use sachets and disposables, sick leave programme etc. A very important SOP is our service partner showing consumers their status on the Aarogya Setu app before entering the consumer's house."

Zomato added that the Aarogya Setu app can help in contact tracing, which in turn can go a long way in containing the spread of coronavirus. In the past, contact tracing has proven helpful to curb contagious spreads; it was one of the interventions that helped in curtailing the spread of Ebola. 

"We have made sure that they can only log in to their Zomato Delivery Partner app if their phone has the Aarogya Setu app installed, and is running as a background process on their phone," said Deepinder.

The co-founder added that being on the frontline exposes Zomato's delivery partners to catching the infection, and therefore, any customers that they ‘get in touch with’ for those few handover seconds.

"And every day, we lose our sleep over – ‘what if someone catches the infection’. Running our food delivery operations at this time is not about business. This business is not profitable yet, and we would rather shut this down temporarily and conserve some cash when investments are drying out. But it is a call of duty to continue to serve when we must," said Deepinder. 

The team added that they hope to fulfil two main objectives with this –

a) In case a Zomato delivery partner comes in contact with an infected person or visits a hotspot area, authorities will know at the earliest. This will instantly enable the team to isolate the delivery partner, and support him/her for quarantine and treatment

b) In case everything's showing okay on the app, then a user knows for sure that, whichever delivery partner is bringing their order to the doorstep is most likely safe and aware

"We also encourage our users to download the Aarogya Setu app. I am aware of the alleged privacy concerns that some of us have against using the app. But even if these concerns were well-founded, it is a small cost to pay for the sake of the collective long term. Last but not the least, we remain true to our mission of ‘better food for more people’ and if we reach the light at the end of the tunnel, and I hope that we will, we’ll make every effort to make this world a better place for more people," said Deepinder.