In an effort to cease the fast spread of coronavirus in the country, the UK has launched a new smartphone application that will enable the users to keep track of coronavirus. The app, which was set to release four months before in May, was finally launched on Thursday.
Highlights
- The first smartphones have been launched in England and Wales
- It will be available for Apple users as well as other phone brands having Android OS
- The new app will help control the spread of the disease by spreading awareness and warnings
The app warns it’s users when they spend more than 15 minutes or more with another user. Also, it will alert when the distance between the users is less than 2 meters. The new app will be made available in multiple languages. Other functions of the app include making appointments for COVID tests and consulting using QR codes.
NHS COVID-19 App
The new software was developed by technological giants Apple and Google. It gathers private information from its users in order for the app to be working with full potential. The companies, however, said that this information will be deleted easily so that privacy concerns will be made less intense.
A domestic effort for the development of the application was made by the National Health Service (NHS). However, it’s an effort to shift on to more centralized data was cast aside when several issues were raised. It was then, they decided to approach Apple and Google. They said that if they had turned to them for the first time itself, they could have launched the application much earlier.
The UK Launches New Smartphone App to Track Coronavirus
Commenting on the release of the tool, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the revamped app was “an important step forward in the fight against this invincible killer. We have worked extensively with tech companies, international partners, and privacy and medical experts and learned from the trials, to develop an app that is secure, simple to use.”
He also said that in order for the app to be more effective, more people should consider downloading it. “Every person who downloads the NHS coronavirus contact tracing app is helping to improve how it can keep us safe. It helps you to keep yourself healthy and your loved ones safe .”
Many people have raised arguments regarding the accessibility of the app. Some of them are not able to download the new tool because their smartphones are too old for that.
The UK is not the only one who has launched an app to track Corona
Earlier this month, the Scottish government had released their own app in order to trace the spread of corona in the country. In August, Northern Ireland had also launched their app. In both the cases, the tool definitely had a good impact even with a limited download from the population. Study shows that if 75% downloaded the app, it can effectively reduce transmissions and deaths by 81% and 78% respectively.
