Ontario Premier Doug Ford says that the nationwide ‘COVID Alert’ contact tracing app is ready to go, and that the delay is due to the federal government.
The app was originally supposed to launch in Ontario on July 2nd, and now two weeks later there isn’t any word on when it will be released. After it was supposed to launch in Ontario for testing, it was going to roll out to other provinces.
“Right now it’s with the feds. We’re ready here in Ontario. We’re just waiting for the green light from the federal government,” Ford told reporters during a press conference on July 15th.
Health Minister Patty Hajdu told CBC News that the federal government is currently working on addressing some bugs within the app and that developers are working to ensure that it is functioning properly.
Hajdu echoed other members of the government and said that the app is going to be released “in the coming weeks,” without providing a specific date or timeline.
The app uses Apple and Google’s notification API, which uses Bluetooth technology to share randomized codes with other nearby smartphones, which can’t identify users. Apple and Google’s API is being used in several countries, including Australia, Denmark, Germany, Italy and the U.K.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that the app is completely voluntary, and that it is up to Canadians to decide if they are going to download it, but that the app will be most effective if as many people as possible install it.
Via: CBC News
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