Even though SARS-CoV-2 is still around, the Australian government has stopped use of the COVIDSafe app. Was it an abject failure, and what lessons can we learn from this exercise?
The outbreak of COVID-19 could be used as a building block in the future to reinforce international co-operation and strengthen the pillars of globalization.
How do you prove that people have been vaccinated without putting their privacy at risk? The technology and best practices to make it happen exist. It’s far from clear, however, if they’re being used.
Bluetooth wireless communication makes it possible to track when people have been exposed to people infected with the coronavirus. The right cryptography scheme keeps alerts about exposures private.
New Zealand has joined a long list of countries using Google and Apple’s mobile contact tracing framework. But if it’s not compatible with Australia’s app, what does that mean for travellers?
Ironically, to encourage people to download the COVID Alert app, we need viral processes as we attempt to contain an actual virus. And that’s a challenge when we’re socially isolated.
The IMF loan does not impose any conditions over and above what is in South African law on how the funds can be used; it only seems to expect the country to implement policies already announced.
COVIDSafe uses Bluetooth radio waves. These can only measure how physically close two people are, but not if those people are in the same room, or even in different cars passing each other.
The federal government has announced a stepped approach to relaxing social distancing measures. What they haven’t said is how high they’ll allow the curve to rise.
From conflicts with specialised medical devices, through to unresolved problems with iPhone functionality, COVIDSafe is in need of updates. A major one may come within the next few weeks.