MoHFW Warns Citizens from Downloading "CoWIN App" On Google Play Store
Guwahati: Google Play Store is offering three apps under the CoWIN name and downloading these apps can create personal risk, warns Ministry of Health.
Reportedly so far, more than 10,000 people have downloaded it and are facing problems. Also, they are not getting any information regarding the vaccination process.
In a tweet by the Ministry of Health, it stated: "Some apps named "#CoWIN" apparently created by unscrupulous elements to sound similar to upcoming official platform of Government, are on App stores. DO NOT download or share personal information on these. #MoHFW Official platform will be adequately publicised on its launch."
Cyber experts also warned the same and said that people should avoid downloading such type of apps because they might misuse the data.
Notably, the official CoWIN (COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network) app introduced by the centre is currently in its pre-production stage and hasn't gone live on Google play store or any other App store. This app is supposed to be the only digital platform to make the vaccination process streamlines.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, IT Minister, also announced a challenge asking the app developer to scale, expand and strengthen CoWIN app.
Currently, no one can register or download the CoWIN app from the Google store, only a few have been given this opportunity to access the app.
It is to be mentioned that the Health Ministry in a briefing on January 5 stated that the indigenous vaccine will be rolled out within the next 10 days.
Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, "We are prepared to roll out covid-19 vaccines within 10 days of granting emergency use authorization date, based on dry run feedback. But the government will only decide the exact date of the rollout of the vaccination programme," told a press conference.
India, the biggest hotspot after the US, reported 16,375 new cases and 201 deaths in last 24 hours. Worryingly, the number of people infected with the virulent new strain first reported in the UK now stands at 71 in India.