TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Facedrive Inc. (“Facedrive”) (TSXV: FD), Canada’s first sustainable ridesharing and delivery company and a leading tech developer on the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, is pleased to announce that the Government of Ontario has endorsed and supports the deployment of Facedrive’s newly launched COVID-19 contact tracing app, TraceSCAN.
TraceSCAN COVID-19 Contact Tracing Application, developed in partnership with the University of Waterloo, and MT>Ventures, is designed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and is one of the only viable applications that features Bluetooth wearable technology integration in this context.
In a Letter (the “Letter”) dated June 30th, 2020, from the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development (the “Ministry”), the Ministry noted that TraceSCAN can play a significant role in increasing the reach of COVID Alert systems developed by the governments of Ontario and Canada. In particular, the Ministry identifies the TraceSCAN app and Bluetooth wearables integration could be valuable for Ontario-wide workplaces where mobile usage is restricted, such as construction sites including the Parliament Hill renovation site in Ottawa.
Facedrive, for its part, is confident that its TraceSCAN app could ultimately also be of use to workers at sporting venues, corporate offices, healthcare and long-term care facilities not just in Canada but Globally. This is because TraceSCAN employs a multi-method approach that uses short-distance Bluetooth signal interactions, affordable Bluetooth wearable technology and machine-learning algorithms with a view to containing new COVID-19 cases by possibly forecasting new outbreaks.
Facedrive is confident that TraceSCAN increases the reach of the government’s “COVID Alert” systems to at-risk demographics who may not carry smart phones - such as senior citizens, children, and low-income individuals. According to Statista.com, more than 16% of Canadians don’t have smartphones -- making TraceSCAN’s wearable technology potentially valuable in the fight against COVID-19 for construction workers, healthcare professionals, farmers and other industry professionals for whom carrying a smartphone presents clear challenges.
“We are extremely pleased to have received the support of the Government of Ontario - a province of some 14 million people and the fourth biggest economy in North America. This is an exciting step for Facedrive and our partners in the TraceSCAN and opens up the potential for increased uptake,” said Facedrive Chairman and CEO Sayan Navaratnam.
“We believe that the government’s COVID Alert app will be instrumental in containment efforts of the COVID-19 pandemic as our economy opens up again, and TraceSCAN will further enhance the functionality of COVID Alert to make sure we are reaching underserved and vulnerable demographics. As an ESG-focused “people-and-planet-first” platform, we are committed to having a meaningful positive impact on the lives and health of our community,” added Navaratnam.
TraceSCAN’s data privacy features have been developed in conjunction with MT>Ventures, a division of McCarthy Trétrault LLP, one of the five largest law firms in Canada. TraceSCAN’s wearable and AI technology is being co-developed by Facedrive and the University of Waterloo.
The TraceSCAN project, currently in its pilot stage, is the outcome of Facedrive’s partnership with the Labourers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), one of the oldest labour unions in North America representing 130,000 Canadian members across various sectors, predominately in construction. Over 200 LiUNA members currently work at the Parliament Hill renovation project.
About Facedrive
Facedrive is a multi-faceted “people-and-planet first” platform offering socially-responsible services to local communities with a strong commitment to doing business fairly, equitably and sustainably. Facedrive rideshare was the first to offer green transportation solutions in the TaaS space, planting thousands of trees and giving users a choice between EVs, hybrids and conventional vehicles. Facedrive Marketplace offers curated merchandise created from sustainably sourced materials. Facedrive Foods offers contactless deliveries of healthy foods right to consumers’ doorsteps. Facedrive Health develops innovative technological solutions to the most acute health challenges of the day. Facedrive is changing the ridesharing, food delivery, e-commerce and health tech narratives for the better, for everyone.
For more about Facedrive, visit www.facedrive.com.
Facedrive Inc.
100 Consilium Pl, Unit 400, Scarborough, ON, Canada M1H 3E3
www.facedrive.com
Forward-Looking Information
Certain information in this press release contains forward-looking information. This information is based on management’s reasonable assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available as of the date of this press release. Actual results and the timing of events related to the TraceSCAN project may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information as a result of various factors. Information regarding our expectations of future results, performance, achievements, prospects or opportunities or the markets in which we operate is forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not facts but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances surround this TraceSCAN pilot. Many factors could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
See “Forward-Looking Information” and “Risk Factors” in Facedrive’s Filing Statement dated August 28, 2019 for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements. Readers are urged to consider the uncertainties, risks and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. We have no intention and undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities law.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
