App for tracking essential supplies, receiving COVID-19 updates launched

An Australian firm recently launched a free mobile app designed to help communities respond to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis by enabling people and businesses to work together in tracking sources of essential goods and medical supplies while getting updated information about the virus.

Dubbed VenCHUR, the crowdsourcing mobile app is designed to help “flatten the curve” by allowing registered users to work together to log and track through a live map essential items like rice, fruits, vegetables, medicine and hygienic products and what small businesses can supply. It also provides real time updates and statistics about the coronavirus pandemic.

App users can purchase grocery items from VenCHUR partners like Puregold, medicine from Mercury Drug and rice, vegetables and fruits from AgriNurture’s ANI Express online store at https://aniexpress.1ani.com.ph/.

VenCHUR’s product offe­rings will soon be expanded with more loyalty partners and through the e-Kadiwa partnership of the Department of Agriculture with ANI Express for food deliveries within Metro Manila.

To encourage participation, VenCHUR utilizes a points system whereby users can trade reward points for food or medi­cine after 21 days of app usage.

Developed by a Sydney-based team and marketed exclusively in the Philippines by Infinity Cinergy Optimum Network, VenCHUR also enables users to help themselves and the broader community with up-to-date information on travel bans, lockdowns, business closures and social distancing measures.

Initially available on Google Playstore, VenCHUR includes other notable features like free Wi-Fi access, a Google heat map showing positive coronavirus cases across the globe, list of school and university closures, data on nearby testing facilities, news sharing capability to social media accounts, and a 14-day self-isolation countdown.

All data presented in the app are sourced from global government sites, Google API and John Hopkins University, which has a dedicated Coronavirus Resource Center, so users have access to up-to-date and accurate information.

Moving forward, VenCHUR will continue to improve the app’s features and functionality with portions of its ad revenue to be donated to the country’s first responders like doctors, nurses, pharmacists, health professionals and other front line medical personnel. INQ