On 27th March 2020 a Canadian blockchain startup called Emerge announced its intentions to exploit blockchain potential and launch a blockchain app called the Civitas to help badly-affected Latin American countries in combating the coronavirus spread and mitigate its impact on the daily lives of people there.
We are living in a world where emerging technologies like blockchain and AI, are battling the pandemic on the frontline, along with healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies to curb its impact.
Last week, a renowned Chinese courier company, SF express, decided to exploit blockchain potential to transport and track emergency medical supplies efficiently. Around the same time, a Singapore-based company Algorand Foundation tapped into blockchain technology to store information related to COVID-19 infections in the region.
Now, the bootstrapped company Emerge, together with its tech partner Penta Network, is launching a blockchain app Civitas to provide Latin American countries with smart solutions to tackle the difficulties resulting from the pandemic.
Although the number of coronavirus infections in this region has not witnessed as sharp a spike as the United States or Europe yet, judging by the way cases jump exponentially, it would not take too long before the crisis leaves severe and enduring effects on already-underfunded health systems.
Thus, according to the official blog post, Civitas will unlock blockchain potential to ensure safety by alerting people for possibly crowded areas and help in reducing gatherings or long queues, thereby curb the spread of the disease. The software will link the government identities of each individual with a unique blockchain-based record that will help authorities to determine whether they are permitted to venture outside.
Moreover, in the case the citizens report symptoms that resemble those in case of coronavirus infection, the blockchain app will prompt with the least-risky days to venture out for buying food and other essentials. By empowering officials and businesses with an ability to manage social distancing effectively, Civitas will make sure that its users never bypass any distancing protocol at any given time.
Theseus to streamline critical food supply chain
The company also announced that it would be deploying Theseus, an enterprise logistics solution to optimize the global food supply chain, designed by Emerge and Penta Network, to enhance the food supply movement in the area.
Given the tightened cross-border restrictions, panic-stricken shoppers hoarding items of daily use, and decreased quality control against spoilage, there has never been a greater need to tackle the supply chain burden and issues concerning constrained supply than now. Theseus will be capable of handling such supply chain inefficiencies and more, the announcement notes.
