Coronavirus: UK ditches its contact-tracing app, eyes Apple's & Google's for their model

Britain has ditched its current contact tracing app, and announced on Thursday that it would switch to Apple and Google technology for the test-and-trace application. According to international media reports, both Apple and Google have been in talks with Britain about their model that has attracted the interest of over 20 countries. Further, Apple and Google's model uses a 'decentralized' approach. Britain's adoption of this approach will in line with a growing number of European countries. 

The current app that is being used by the UK is being tested on the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of England where it proved to work well on Google's Android operating system, but not on Apple's iPhones. While several ministers had admitted to technical issues with the app, it was declared that the app was not ready to launch on May 28 for England's test and trace system. 

Read: WHO welcomes trial results of dexamethasone, congratulates UK govt and Oxford

While Apple and Google's model has attracted several countries, some governments have reportedly also complained about the restrictions that the smartphones have imposed as it undercuts the technology's usefulness by prioritizing user privacy. Meanwhile, the test-and-trace program is seen as a key measure in order to re-open the country. However, it has also been criticized after the nationwide roll-out of a National Health Service (NHS)-developed smartphone app that slipped from last month towards the end of the year. 

Read: UK report: Racism means minorities harder hit by virus

WHO welcomes Dexamethasone trial 

On June 16, the World Health Organisation (WHO) welcomed the preliminary clinical trial results from the United Kingdom that show Dexamethasone-- a steroid that can be lifesaving for coronavirus patients who are kept under ventilator or oxygen support. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom congratulated the UK government, which partially funded the trials that were led by Oxford University. Meanwhile, British Health Minister Matt Hancock stated that COVID-19 patients in the UK will be given dexamethasone immediately. According to the minister, Britain had already started stockpiling the drug since March. 

Becoming the fifth country in line, according to the latest reports, there are over 300,469 cases of coronavirus in the United Kingdom, out of which around 42,288 deaths have been reported to date. 

Read: UK Health Minister says COVID patients to get dexamethasone drug immediately

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