This article is written by Amanda Bernardo, Project Manager, Digital Solutions at the Public Health Agency of Canada

All around the world, governments, industries, and citizens are facing the impacts of Covid-19. From health care, to education, employment, and travel, the world has witnessed a complete disruption of operations as a result of a worldwide pandemic. However, while much of the world was put on pause, many digital service teams were stepping up to the plate to keep operations rolling. In response to Covid-19, the Government of Canada has launched a number of digital solutions to support public health awareness, mental health, and data modelling.

Now, this work is helping the Public Health Agency of Canada to contain Covid-19 to keep Canadians safe. Digital solutions have helped to reduce points of contact — offering alternative options to traditional paper forms; reducing wait times — offering a quick and easy way to submit mandatory information upon arrival to Border Services Officers; and, allowing for real-time data collection to support public health measures.

As part of Covid-19 enhanced border measures, travellers entering Canada — whether by air, land or sea — must provide basic contact information under the Quarantine Act. On April 29, 2020, the Public Health Agency of Canada launched the ArriveCAN mobile application to help collect this information.

Incoming travellers arriving to Canada can download the app in advance of their arrival and complete the mandatory information required. This will allow travellers to quickly and easily submit the information to a Border Services Officer upon entry.

Shifts in how people work and what people are working on have enabled an entire country to respond to a worldwide pandemic

Developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, in collaboration with the Canada Border Services Agency, the first iteration of the app was launched in just under five weeks through an incredible amount of collaboration and partnership. In doing so, the team behind ArriveCAN held true to Canada’s Digital Standards by testing the solution with users to guide the app’s design and development, and to iterate the app in a way that best serves Canadians.

Why go digital?

Now, more than ever, citizens are relying on their mobile devices to obtain information and to stay connected to what’s happening in their country and all around the world.

In an effort to meet citizens where they are, ArriveCAN was developed as a quick and easy mobile solution that allows travellers to provide information required by law upon arrival at a Canadian port of entry.

Travellers returning to Canada: You are required to provide info upon entry for #COVID19. Download the ArriveCAN app to do it quickly and limit points of contact at the border.️https://t.co/ChrfCBGahw pic.twitter.com/8YnuTC4vIf

— Health Canada and PHAC (@GovCanHealth) April 29, 2020

ArriveCAN, available on the Google Play and iOS stores, is simple to use and is designed to collect basic contact and travel information from travellers, as well as their location for mandatory isolation. The app also asks yes or no questions related to symptoms and quarantine plans. This information is used to support compliance and enforcement measures aligned to Canada’s emergency orders under the Quarantine Act and for public health follow-up.

Compliance and enforcement officers use the information provided to contact travellers during their mandatory isolation period to share public health messaging and ensure that travellers are respecting the requirement to stay in their place of isolation. ArriveCAN is not a surveillance or tracking tool.

Shifting to Digital First

All around the world, governments are looking for better ways to respond to Covid-19, flatten the curve and define the “new normal”.

Shifts in how people work and what people are working on have enabled an entire country to respond to a worldwide pandemic. Among these shifts in work has been an adoption of digital technologies, mindsets and approaches. This adoption spans virtual technologies supporting meetings and collaboration, the integration of data for informed decision-making, and the use of mobile applications to save users time.

Be part of the “Digital Solutions Response” series with Apolitical and share your team’s work with the rest of the world

If you know someone travelling to Canada, please help us in containing Covid-19 by encouraging the download of the ArriveCAN app. While ArriveCAN is specific to incoming travellers, you can also download Canada’s Covid-19 app for the latest updates on Covid-19 in Canada, as well as to access trusted resources.

All around the world, we’ve seen an incredible amount of dedication, creativity and smart thinking from digital service teams who are eager to make a difference in response to Covid-19. If you’re a member of one of these teams, I urge you to share your story with other public servants so that together we can learn from each other, collaborate, and respond to our generation’s most impactful call to action.

Be part of the “Digital Solutions Response” series with Apolitical and share your team’s work with the rest of the world.— Amanda Bernardo

Are you working on a digital project in response to Covid-19 and do you want to share your work with Apolitical's global audience? Submit a pitch for a short (700-900 words) article on our contributor page here, and let us know that it's for the "digital solutions response" series. The best pitches will be included in this series and published to a global audience of policymakers and public servants.

(Picture credit: Unsplash)