European countries cautiously emerging from the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic are looking to a second generation of contact tracing apps ...
Share this contentMUEHLBACH AM MANHARTSBERG, Austria: European countries cautiously emerging from the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic are looking to a second generation of contact tracing apps to help contain further outbreaks.
"The fundamental challenge will be if the second wave comes," said Ingmars Pukis, a board member at mobile network operator LMT, which is backing the Latvian app."We hope we will be ready with sufficient functionality and penetration to manage a future outbreak," Pukis said. The Bluetooth-based app is now being trialled after army volunteers tested whether it could work in settings such as a cafeteria lunch, a train journey, a shop queue or a house party.
There are still potential flaws as Bluetooth was not originally designed to accurately measure distance. And while mass public take-up is needed for such apps to work, relatively few elderly people, who are at greatest risk, have smartphones. Apple and Google said when they released their toolkit for Bluetooth apps last month that authorities in 23 countries had sought access to it. Early adopters Singapore and Australia are considering shifting to their joint standard.
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