An online application using geographical information system helps shoppers in Thủ Đức City locate the nearest shops and businesses. The app, along with another that helps monitor the pandemic, will now be taken to 11 more districts in HCM City. — VNS Photo Việt Dũng

HCM CITY — Two geographical information system applications to help people shop online and authorities monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, trialled for one month in Thủ Đức City, will now be expanded to 11 districts in HCM City.

Built by the HCM City Geographical Information System Application Centre, one of them updates information about more than 400 markets, supermarkets and other businesses to enable people to shop. It can inform users what the businesses supply and recommend those closest to users’ locations and travel routes to reach the place.

The other app will help monitor the pandemic across the city by keeping track of and analysing data such as positive cases, the spread of infection, lockdown areas, quarantine zones, and treatment facilities, and create reports for authorities.

The apps can be used to monitor districts 4, 6, 12, Bình Thạnh, Tân Bình, Phú Nhuận, Gò Vấp, Bình Chánh, Cần Giờ, Củ Chi, and Nhà Bè.

Chu Vân Hải, deputy director of the city Department of Science and Technology, said the applications proved to be of great help to the public and authorities in Thủ Đức City when the pandemic was spreading, and the department wants to help other districts make use of them.

Nguyễn Thanh Bình, head of the Phú Nhuận District economic department, said his district would like to get the two as soon as possible.

Việt Nam embraced information technology to combat the pandemic, using the contact tracing Bluezone application and provincial epidemic maps since the early days.

It has had more than 185,000 cases in the current COVID-19 wave that began in late April, with HCM City alone accounting for more than 112,000. — VNS