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"It’s pleasing to note the extensive use of the NZ COVID Tracer app has significantly assisted contact tracing efforts."
The New Zealand Government, determined to minimise the impact of COVID-19, opted for a strategy which combined strict physical distancing, border controls, strong testing and clinical management of those infected with clear, regular public communication and a focus on contact tracing.
In a health emergency where physical distance is required and quick, effective tracing is one of the best defences against further outbreak, technology needs to play a major role and RUSH were brought in to develop and deliver a solution.
Expertise
Accessibility
Feasibility Validation
Research
Proof of Concept
UX Design
UI Design
Technical Validation
Native Application Development
Cloud / Systems Integration
Minimum Viable Product
Quality Assurance & Testing
Application Support
804M
Scans of QR codes
3.6M
App registrations
6 weeks
To MVP
Frontend app was originally native, then rewritten in React Native for development velocity.
“Data on permission” architecture, where data was kept on personal devices until a request to share (from the user or contact tracing team) was approved by the user.
Extensive AWS infrastructure to manage authentication, data export, bluetooth proximity, exposure notification and anonymous metrics.
Key AWS technologies included heavy use of Lambdas, DynamoDB, PostgreSQL and Kinesis.
“It was a really nervous time in the company. I remember telling the team what was happening, and saying that we’ve got a chance to work on this thing that could actually save lives. They stepped up genuinely, people went above and beyond to make this happen.”
Protecting user privacy was a critical component. Our QR code solution is one of the first in the world to have decentralised code which is incredibly important for giving users control of their own data. Information is securely stored on a user’s phone and routinely deleted, there is no phone transmission of data unless expressly authorised by the user, no way to use records for enforcement and no sharing of information with Government agencies that aren’t involved in contact tracing.
In a health emergency where physical distance is required and quick, effective tracing is one of the best defences against further outbreak.
Using technology to protect citizens during a global pandemic provided a world-first brief, and through this project, the product teams became contributors to COVID Green, the Linux Foundation Public Health (LFPH) open source software to help public health authorities around the world combat COVID-19 and future pandemics.
▪ Best Awards 2021 | Gold - Public Good, Gold - UX innovating, Silver - digital product, Bronze - UX empowering, Bronze - UX optimising
▪ GOOD Design Awards 2021 | Winner - Social Impact, GOLD Winner - Digital Design
▪ Open Source Awards 2021 | Winner - Open Source Use in Government
▪ NZ Hi-Tech Awards 2021 | Finalist - Social Impact
