Limerick software firm gets on digital frontline to offer contact tracing app

A SMALL Limerick-based software company is putting itself on the digital frontline by offering clubs and community groups a free contact tracing programme, so that people can return to regular activities with some peace of mind. 

Blocworx, based in Annacotty Business Park, is a small six-person team, led by Mark O’Sullivan, Adrian De Cleir and John Kennedy, who specialise in digital tracking in workplaces. 

In a workplace that requires protective equipment, the software can be used to ensure that employees are safely ready to start their shift. And now they’re applying that same philosophy to their contact tracing app that they are giving free to clubs and community groups.

Mark O’Sullivan, who is chairperson of Granagh-Ballingarry Ladies Football Club, trialled the software before the GAA had an official one. John and Adrian are, too, involved in local sporting clubs. 

“I said: ‘Lads, we could do a lot of clubs quick favours here’. And it wouldn’t take us an awful lot of time,” he said. 

Through the app the club, he explained, will “pre-populate a membership list” and they can assign a membership number or phone number to each name. After selection, the person is then asked a number of questions, based on guidelines by the HSE and HSA. 

Players can answer the Covid questionnaire prior to training so that they can get the green light to get on the pitch. 

“It’s literally touch boxes. So when you open up the app, a name will come up and it will populate all the details of the person, and then you just type in: ‘Yeah, I am feeling okay; I’ve no change in temperature, everything is fine, thanks very much’. The managers will then have a list of all the players that trained that evening. So in the event then that there’s a Covid issue, they can go back and trace,” he explained. 

Mr O’Sullivan said one of his main motivations to provide the app to the clubs is to make it easier for players to get back in action on the pitch. 

He said he is in conversations with rolling out the app for Badminton Ireland and the Irish Amateur Boxing Association.