During the outbreak, the Alibaba Group released a QR code system which can be read by smartphones and determine which individuals could generate health risks and need to be quarantined or, on the opposite, could be allowed to use public spaces / transportation. Now this technology is proving instrumental in policing the country as it tries to get back on its feet.

Ant’s QR-based Health Code System assigns each user one of three colors —green, yellow or red— based on their location, basic health information and travel history. Green allows freedom of movement, while yellow and red indicate that a specific citizen needs to self-quarantine or enter a supervised quarantine facility, respectively. The colored QR code, which is already deployed in over 200 cities, is obtained by entering information including name, national identity number, current location, recent travel history and ticking a box asking if the person has been in contact with a Covid-19 outpatient or anyone hospitalized in the last 14 days. Once the online survey is filled out, a code is automatically generated. Moreover, each code is refreshed at midnight.

Cafes, restaurants and shopping malls throughout China are requesting to confirm the green QR code before granting permission to enter. Since these health codes were first rolled out by Alipay on Feb. 11th 2020 in Hangzhou, adoption by merchants and businesses has been swift across the country with a practical plan for wider deployment, according to Ant Financial.

Could this online application be effective while implemented by health systems across Europe as an effective tool to prevent the invasive COVID-19 crisis and combat further spread-out?