New app from South Australian Government will allow COVID-19 patients to monitor their symptoms at home.

The HealthCheck SA app, released last week, will act as a toolkit that guides South Australians through their quarantine, testing and symptom check requirements.

It is part of the Home Quarantine SA app, which has been assisting people to return safely to South Australia and quarantine.

The new app has been built to manage up to 50,000 people, which will include active cases, their families and close contacts.

It will have a quarantine schedule planner, multiple randomised location check-ins using live face recognition to confirm people are at their approved quarantine address, daily symptom checks and health and wellbeing resources.

For regional and rural South Australians, 1,500 home monitoring kits will be made available to them to avoid unnecessary transfers to Adelaide.

Premier Steven Marshall said providing support to people in their home was more convenient due to the vast majority of COVID-19 cases experiencing mild to moderate symptoms.

“These extra supports are another enabler for us to safely open up our borders, and in doing so reunite South Australians with family, friends and colleagues from interstate while further protecting local jobs and boosting our already strong economy,” he said in a statement.

“Once we start to see COVID cases in South Australia, we will be ready to manage the vast majority of active cases, their families, and close contacts, from the comfort of their home.”

Monitored by health staff

People being cared for at home will be monitored by health staff from the COVID Response Care Team.

The team will monitor patients’ temperature and oxygen saturation through virtual clinical care equipment, such as oximeters and temperature probes, which will be provided to those at home who need it.

Dr Emily Kirkpatrick, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer, said cases will be risk-assessed to determine whether it is safe for them to stay at home or a higher level of care is needed in a dedicated care facility.

“Not every situation or home environment will be suitable for quarantine and isolation at home, and people who do not have access to a phone or the HealthCheck SA app will be provided with tablets to monitor their symptoms and assist with their quarantine period,” she said in a statement.

Minister for Health and Wellbeing Stephen Wade said the app will help free up hospital beds.

“We anticipate that around 85 percent of positive COVID-19 cases will be safely supported through home-based care and monitoring through the new HealthCheck SA app, freeing up beds in our hospitals for more acutely unwell patients,” he said in a statement.