The federal government has defended the COVID-19 tracing app COVIDSafe, despite the fact that the app has not yet been used by the health authorities to identify people that have been in close contact with people who have tested positive for coronavirus.
“The reality is contact traces are so good at the moment that in the initial phone conversation with the affected patients of COVID-19, they are picking up most of the contacts,” Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth old Sunrise. “There is about on average 10 contacts per person and they are picking up the same contacts as the app, so that means they are doing a great job.”
COVIDSafe has had numerous hiccups since its launch. For instance, on Apple devices it requires iOS 10 or later. When the app was first launched, the app only worked when it was opened on the phone.
On the Google Play store COVIDSafe requires Android 5.0 or higher. One user on Google Play left the following review: “I support the idea of this app, but like so many others experience, this app just keeps turning off on my android phone even though my settings are all correct. I have tried to reinstall it several times but it still turns off. I have nothing else using Bluetooth. Now we have cases in our community.”
As of 25th June, 6.44 million Australians had downloaded the COVIDSafe app.
