Are you Going to use the COVIDsafe App?

[serfty]

I did research this a fair bit and I decided I was happy to:

Privacy Policy

The COVIDSafe app speeds up contacting people exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19). This helps us support and protect you, your friends and family. Please read the content on this page before downloading.

www.health.gov.au

 

[OATEK]

I have a Pixel 3 (Android) and no noticeable battery drain. No messages about lack of contact - close to Mrsoatek's phone a large part of the time.

 

[DC3]

Seeing as how the Melbourne area is currently a big hotspot, has anyone seen reports on how the app is doing in tracking their contacts?

 

[samh004]

When I was in the Barossa a couple of weeks ago, a couple of the places asked me to fill out my contact details. Same with my local library

I have @frankie sign me into everywhere we go

Also, stopped using the app weeks ago. Was becoming too much of a hassle, so I just social distance instead and avoid touching other people. Working wonders so far.

 

[Anna]

Seeing as how the Melbourne area is currently a big hotspot, has anyone seen reports on how the app is doing in tracking their contacts?

Surge in cases renews focus on effectiveness of CovidSafe app - ABC listen

Contract tracers in Victoria and New South Wales are scrambling to track down people who may have come into contact with a confirmed coronavirus case.

www.abc.net.au

 

[moa999]

has anyone seen reports on how the app is doing in tracking their contacts?

As I understand downloads in Aus are only at about 35% - which means a roughly 1 in 10 chance (probably less if using Apple devices) of a positive person and any secondary

Thus they are still relying primarily on person to person contract tracing

 

[Spongbob]

With all the recent concern about a second outbreak of COVID-19, I do not recall hearing any policy makers claiming that downloading the App would have prevented all this.

Perhaps even its boosters recognise its limitations?

 

[Lynda2475]

Use of the app in contract tracing doenst seem to have been mentioned in the media. I know after the protests they said that none of the positives had the app.

They have also said once cases get above 100 manual contract tracing becomes very problematic.

I still have it installed on my work phone, having blue tooth and location on all the time as is required by the app means Im having to charge it daily, whereas prior to the app was charging twice a week - as i mostly use the phone to generate codes to connect to VPN, and make most of my calls via computer since wfh all day rather than out and about like pre-covid19.

 

[jakeseven7]

I've still got mine installed and active, in QLD there is zero social distancing, you wouldn't even know there was a pandemic - and I'm personally convinced it is spreading asymptomatically many many times before someone actually gets ill with it, so the app for me may become even more important at some unknown point in a state that isn't taking precautions very seriously right now....

Use of the app has been in the media - but they said its only reinforced what the manual contact tracing has revealed. EDIT: Announced today it has revealed unknown contacts which is good.

I've also had no issues with battery life.

 

[samh004]

I've still got mine installed and active, in QLD there is zero social distancing, you wouldn't even know there was a pandemic - and I'm personally convinced it is spreading asymptomatically many many times before someone actually gets ill with it, so the app for me may become even more important at some unknown point in a state that isn't taking precautions very seriously right now....

I guess it depends where you go. I tend to plan where I shop to avoid large groups of people.

 

[jakeseven7]

I guess it depends where you go. I tend to plan where I shop to avoid large groups of people.

Great that you have the choice to do that. A lot of people don't unfortunately... which is why the app is important. They announced today that the app has revealed unknown contacts for the first time... that could be a life saved - who knows, just for having an app installed on your phone. Worth it for me.

 

[DC3]

Certainly in my area of Brisbane, people are doing the right thing with distancing. Also, being properly managed in the local cafes/shops, etc.

 

[Himeno]

app of no use

 

[moa999]

It's not the first line.
30% with the app, combined with 30% possible infected.
Equals below 10% and that's before you get into the Apple issues.

No wonder they rely on manual contract tracing in the first instance.

If we had 90% app downloads, maybe you might put greater reliance on it

 

[dajop]

App is probably a waste of time, due to human nature. Anyone who cares enough to download the app probably also cares enough to try to maintain a good level of social distancing!

But apart from this, I think the lack of feedback from the app makes it unappealing. It would be nice to have some interaction with the app - like just about every other app - even if it was just a daily report that says the number of contacts detected for the day (I’d expect at least one contact every day - with my partners phone)

 

[TheRealTMA]

Such a con. It’s is useless waste of money and public trust, and has not found one new contact. Not even useful for nsw pub contacts.

COVIDSafe app a '$2 million failure', Bowen says

Labor's Chris Bowen has criticised the government's coronavirus tracing app, which is yet to find any close contacts of an infected person who had not already been identified manually.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Anna]

Anyone who cares enough to download the app probably also cares enough to try to maintain a good level of social distancing!

Maybe. But while we are speculating about human nature there are probably 2 other equally large groups -

A. I hate social distancing so I'm going to download the app so I can ignore social distancing with a clear conscience.

B. I am a private and cautious person who loves social distancing and hopes it lasts for years, but my natural privacy concerns and caution make me not download the app.

 

[SydneySwan]

It is $2 million of government money that could have usefully been spent elsewhere.

 

[p--and--t]

It is $2 million of government money that could have usefully been spent elsewhere.

work for the dole scheme

 

[dajop]

Such a con. It’s is useless waste of money and public trust, and has not found one new contact. Not even useful for nsw pub contacts.

COVIDSafe app a '$2 million failure', Bowen says

Labor's Chris Bowen has criticised the government's coronavirus tracing app, which is yet to find any close contacts of an infected person who had not already been identified manually.

www.theage.com.au

Not a liberal party supporter, but this criticism seems quite petty to me. Some things works, some things fail, especially when speed is of the essence. Better to try something than admit defeat before trying anything. Had ALP been in power they probably would have taken a similar decision if not on this app, on something else that would have not met expectations.

It is $2 million of government money that could have usefully been spent elsewhere.

A drop in the ocean in the context of what is being spent by federal and state governments at the moment on dealing with COVID (between Jobkeeper, Jobseeker, various other support mechanisms, contract tracing, medical support, quarantine etc etc). $2m is Jobkeeper allowance for just 444 people for 3 months.

 

[jb747]

It basically doesn’t work, because those in charge refused to use the Apple and Google model, and went with their own. It won’t ever work unless they do. A number of countries in Europe, who had originally gone with the same centralised model have admitted it won’t work, and switched to the built in APIs. Australia...well stubborn trumps practical, or effective.