User photo made visible in Tarassud app; to help entry to public places, offices

Muscat: People who have recently logged in to their Tarassud COVID monitoring app would have noticed that their photo also appears as part of their vaccination profile, making it easier to identify people when they enter public spaces and offices.

With evidence of vaccination compulsory for those who wish to enter malls, private offices and government institutions, the photo ID on the app makes it easier to show proof of identity, without resorting to also showing civil or resident cards to staff at the door, in case necessary.

“This actually happened to me once previously,” said Aiman, an Omani from Barka. “I went to a mall, and because my photo ID was not displayed as part of the app, I had to also take out my civil ID to show security before they would let me in.”

“By the time I went back to the mall a second time, however, the app had updated itself and the photograph made it very simple to pass through,” he added.

The photo update on the Tarassud app is the latest of many recent developments it has undergone. It recently underwent an update enabling expatriates who had been vaccinated overseas to update their vaccination status.

That update was brought in after the Ministry of Health rolled out the one enabling people to check their own vaccination status, as well as data pertaining to immunisation rates.

The update also allowed for modification of passport details, and the de-linking of people from a registered phone number, which could happen in the case of a child, spouse, or domestic worker.

The app allows for people to link others to their Tarassud profile, get regularly updated data on the current COVID-19 situation in Oman, and detect people around them who are currently in isolation, as part of measures to stop the spread of the virus.

They also have access through the app to COVID-related data from the rest of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and the rest of the world.