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French President Emmanuel Macron’s StopCovid app has been uninstalled by 460,000 people since its launch three weeks ago. Despite two million users downloading the contact tracing app, only 68 informed the platform they were infected with COVID-19. A further 14 users were alerted of the risk. It comes as France reported more than 1,500 new confirmed novel coronavirus cases on Friday, a spike unseen since May 30, while the number of additional fatalities linked to the virus rose by the highest amount in three days.
One disgruntled resident told RT: “It’s a bit of a failure.”
Another added: “I think 14 is not many. If it was only 14 people who were informed.”
A third person said: “It shows it’s not at successful as hoped by the authorities.
“I think people the people were a bit wary about this exchange on their mobile.
“You continue to pay for something you don’t use? No, I don’t think so.”
A fourth noted: “I had a feeling nobody thought the app would work anyway.”
The digital affairs minister has suggested cultural differences explained the success of a similar app in Germany.
Cedric O said: “It’s probably more to do with our cultural differences and differing attitudes to the coronavirus.
“And potentially, it may be linked to a difference in perspective towards respective governments’ behaviour during the pandemic.”
The app will cost between 80,000 and 120,000 euros ($91,000-13,600) a month for expenses related to hosting and development and maintenance work, a cost that would increase if there were to be a spike in cases, Cedric O said.
It comes as the UK will ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from countries it deems to be lower risk for COVID-19 , the government said on Friday.
Official travel advice against all but essential travel outside Britain will also be eased for some countries and regions.
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Taken together, these changes will make it easier for Britons to travel abroad for summer holidays.
will ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from countries it deems to be lower risk for COVID-19 , the government said on Friday.
Official travel advice against all but essential travel outside Britain will also be eased for some countries and regions.
Taken together, these changes will make it easier for Britons to travel abroad for summer holidays.
Britain said it is likely to discuss this with countries including France, Greece and Spain.
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