The Argentine Government Created COVID-19 Database

The Undersecretariat of Open Government and Digital Country, under the President’s Chief of Staff Office, published in the Official Gazette Provision No. 3/2020 (“Provision”) which creates the “COVID-19 Ministerio de Salud” database (“Database”). The purpose of the Database is to process the data generated through the app “Aplicación COVID-19 Ministerio de Salud” (hereinafter “App Cuidar”), facilitating greater state control of the pandemic.

In particular, the Provision details that the Database:

• collects the data about the health status of its users through the App Cuidar. The collection is carried out through a self-assessment form of symptoms related to Covid-19. The purpose of the Database is to obtain useful information regarding of the pandemic context.
• contains personal data of the users of the App Cuidar, which are provided voluntarily by them. Likewise, those returning from abroad must download the App Cuidar in accordance with the provisions of Administrative Decision No. 432/2020 (see more information here).
• contains personal data provided directly by the users of the App Cuidar, except for those related to geolocation, which is obtained automatically from the data subjects mobile devices.
• is computerized, and its structure has the following fields: address; ID; age; email; cell phone; if you have: feverishness, cough, and/or sore throat; if you are pregnant; if you suffer from: cancer, diabetes, liver disease, chronic kidney disease, respiratory disease, and/or cardiological disease; and geolocation.
• may be transferred from the Undersecretariat of Open Government and Digital Country to the jurisdictions, entities and agencies of the National Public Administration, in accordance with the Law on Financial Administration and Control Systems of the National Public Sector No. 24,156, and under the terms of Administrative Decision No. 431/2020 (see more information here). The data, whenever possible, will be transferred in a dissociated form. Assignments will be made only in the context of the health emergency declared by Emergency Decree No. 260/2020 and within the framework of the powers to be exercised by the assigning agencies.
• is the responsibility of the Undersecretariat of Open Government and Digital Country, which depends on the Secretariat of Public Innovation of the President’s Chief of Staff Office. The data subjects can exercise their rights against it.